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5.0 from 3 votes

Pork and beans

Tender pork shoulder slow roasts with butter beans, wild Cretan greens, garlic, and wine developing a flavor-rich, aromatic sauce.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 654 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon plus more for serving
  • 1 garlic head
  • ½ cup rosemary leaves
  • 4 lbs pork shoulder 2 kg
  • 3 onions
  • 3 celery sticks cut in 1-inch / 3 cm pieces
  • ¾ dry white wine
  • 2 cans butter beans or Greek gigantes or canellini
  • 1¼ cup chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ⅔ lb greens chard, chicory, spinach
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Peel the garlic and cut the onions into wedges. Cut the celery sticks into one-inch pieces. Thoroughly wash the greens.
  2. Grate the lemon zest into a food processor or a pestle and mortar). Add the garlic cloves and rosemary leaves. Blitz together, add in the lemon juice, season well, and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until you have a thick paste. Rub half of the paste over the pork and leave it to one side for half an hour.
  3. Preheat your oven to 425°F / 220°C.
  4. Drain the beans and save the juice from one can.
  5. Place a large oven-proof casserole on the stove over medium-high heat.Add three tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions, celery and remaining garlic paste. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the beans and the bean juice, the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring everything to a boil.
  6. Place the pork shoulder on top of the beans. Rub the pork skin with a bit of olive oil, then place the pot in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes so the skin starts to crisp.
  7. While the pork is in the oven, roughly cut the greens. After 30 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven. Stir in the greens, cover with a lid, and return to the oven. Reduce the heat to 160°C/140°C . Cook the pork for 3-3½ hours, or until the meat is tender.
  8. To finish, remove the lid and turn the heat back up to 425°F / 220°C for 10-15 minutes, to crisp up the skin.
  9. Remove the meat from the oven, rest for 15 minutes, and serve.Have lemon wedges around the table to add more lemon juice if you like.

Notes

  • You can marinate the pork shoulder for longer and leave it covered in the fridge for several hours or even overnight.
  • Thoroughly wash the greens in plenty of water.
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  • This pork and beans recipe can also be made with smaller cuts suitable for stew. To prepare the meat, sear it before cooking using the same method as our old-fashioned beef stew.
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  • The nutritional analysis is only an estimate based on available ingredients and the recipe’s preparation. 
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  • You can marinate the pork shoulder for longer and leave it covered in the fridge for several hours or even overnight.
  • In this recipe, I am using stamnagathi greens from Crete. They are difficult to find even in Athens, so when I make this dish, I use whatever the farmers’ market offers that day. It can be spinach, chard, wild chicory, etc.
  • Thoroughly wash the greens in plenty of water.
  • Shoulder joint
  • Collar joint
  • Pork shank
  • Belly joint
  • Leg roast
  • Leg joint

Nutrition Information

Calories 654kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 29g (10%) Protein 45g (90%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 19g Cholesterol 125mg (42%) Sodium 234mg (10%) Potassium 1341mg (38%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 588IU (12%) Vitamin C 18mg (20%) Calcium 70mg (7%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 654

% Daily Value*

Calories 654kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 29g 10%
Protein 45g 90%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 125mg 42%
Sodium 234mg 10%
Potassium 1341mg 29%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 588IU 12%
Vitamin C 18mg 20%
Calcium 70mg 7%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.