Cassoulet With Bacon, Andouille And Country Ribs

Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 cups canned beans
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 lbs country-style lamb ribs, fat trimmed, meat removed from the bones and cut into 1-inch pieces, rib bones reserved
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb bacon, thick-cut applewood-smoked, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 lb andouille sausage, thickly sliced crosswise
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1 bay leaf

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 300°.
• 2 in a large saucepan, cover the beans with the stock and bring to a boil.
• 3 reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour.
• 4 drain the beans, reserving the stock.
• 5 return the stock to the saucepan and boil over high heat until reduced to 4 cups, about 7 minutes.
• 6 meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet.
• 7 working in 2 batches, season the rib meat with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 4 minutes per batch. transfer to a platter.
• 8 add the bacon to the skillet and cook until the fat is rendered and the meat begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. transfer the bacon to the platter.
• 9 add the andouille to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. transfer to the platter.
• 10 add the reserved rib bones to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. add to the platter.
• 11 add the onion, carrots and garlic to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.
• 12 add the chopped tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf and cook, stirring until the tomatoes release their juices, about 3 minutes.
• 13 return the rib meat, bacon and andouille to the skillet; stir until heated through.
• 14 scrape the meat and vegetables into a large glass or ceramic baking dish.
• 15 nestle in the rib bones and top with the beans and the reduced stock.
• 16 bake the cassoulet for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the beans on top are crisp. let stand for 15 minutes. pick out the bay leaf and serve.
• 17 make ahead the baked cassoulet can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. cover with aluminum foil and bring to room temperature before reheating in a 350° oven for about 40 minutes.