Ground Meat And Bean Cassoulet Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CASSOULET

Steps:

• Rinse soaked beans and drain.
• Pour broth into a large pot. Add chopped pancetta, bones from duck confit, and the drained beans. Tie bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme sprigs, and garlic into a small square of cheesecloth to create the bouquet garni; add to the pot. Stir. Bring to a simmer over high heat; skim foamy scum that forms, if desired. Reduce heat to low until beans are almost tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle pork pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; brown the pork pieces, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add sausage to the skillet and cook in the same oil, turning until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Cut sausages in half and transfer to bowl with pork pieces.
• Remove fat and skin from duck confit and add them to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Transfer all fat and browned pieces from the skillet to a mixing bowl. Add melted butter. Stir in bread crumbs and chopped parsley; stir until mixture looks like damp sand. Mix in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup broth.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place onions, carrots, and celery in the same skillet used to brown the meats; add pinch of salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until onions are translucent and mixture turns golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook and stir until tomato paste starts to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, 3 or 4 minutes. Pour in white wine; cook and stir until most of the wine evaporates, 5 or 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Drain beans over a large bowl to retain all the cooking liquid. Remove bones and bouquet garni.
• Place drained beans in large shallow baking dish or cast iron skillet (about 12 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep). Stir in cooked vegetables and about 1 cup broth. Add pork pieces and distribute evenly among the beans. Top with the shredded duck confit. Nestle the sausage halves into the bean mixture.
• Ladle cooking liquid into the baking dish until beans are nearly submerged. Spread bread crumb mixture evenly over the top but don't press into the liquid. Use your fingertips to make gentle indentations on the crumb surface for better browning.
• Bake in preheated oven until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and create a small "well" in the center of the cassoulet crust. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid (or as needed) into the well to rehydrate mixture. Use a fork to gently poke into the cassoulet to ensure the liquid is fairly evenly distributed but try not to disturb the crusty surface.
• Continue baking until cassoulet surface is crispy and caramelized, the meat is fork tender, and the beans are creamy and tender, about 30 to 45 more minutes.
• Serve in large bowls with a spoonful or 2 of hot cooking liquid. Top with chopped fresh parsley.

OLD-FASHIONED SMOKED SAUSAGE AND BEAN CASSOULET

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat oil in a heavy oven-proof pot over medium heat.
• Add in sausage slices and saute until browned (about 10-15 minutes) remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.
• Add in more oil of needed and add in the leeks; saute for about 8 minutes or until softened.
• Add in chopped apple, rosemary and sage; mix to combine.
• Add in the brandy and simmer until ALMOST evapoarted (about 4-5 minutes).
• Mix in canned tomatoes with juice, canned beans with 1/2 cup reserved bean juice, the lima beans, 1 cup broth and tomato paste.
• Add in sausages and season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil, cover pot and transfer to a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes (watch to see if the mixture is dry, if so add in more broth).
• Remove pot from the oven and prepare the following.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in bread cubes; saute until golden brown, stirring often (about 25 minutes).
• Combine the fresh chopped tomatoes and parsley in a large bowl; mix in the browned bread cubes.
• Season with salt and pepper and spoon on top of the warm cassoulet.
• Return to oven and bake uncovered 15 minutes longer.

EASY FRENCH CASSOULET WITH WINE, BEANS, SAUSAGE, HAM AND HERBS

Steps:

• In a large oven-proof skillet such as a Le Creuset or Dutch oven cook sausage, onion, and garlic over medium-low heat until meat is lightly browned and onion is tender; drain off fat.
• Add ham, parsley, and bay leaf; mix well. Stir in undrained beans, wine, and cloves.
• Bake, covered, at 325°F for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and bake 40 to 45 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.
• Serve in bowls with butter and a baguette or hot corn bread, if desired.
• Makes 6 servings.

CASSOULET WITH LOTS OF VEGETABLES (MARK BITTMAN)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the meat, and cook, turning as needed, until the meat is deeply browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
• Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic, leeks or onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini or cabbage; and sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their liquid, the reserved meat, and the herbs and bring to a boil. Add the beans; bring to a boil again, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but continuously. Cook for about 20 minutes, adding the liquid when the mixture gets thick and the vegetables are melting away.
• Fish out the meat and remove the bones and skin as needed. Chop into chunks and return to the pot along with the cayenne. Cook another minute or two to warm through, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.
• Slow-Cooked Cassoulet. Start with dried beans. After browning the meat in Step 1, leave it in the pan and add 1/2 pound dry white beans (they'll cook faster if you soak them first) and enough water or stock to just cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. Meanwhile, in a separate pan with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cook the vegetables as directed in Step 2. Add them to the pot of beans along with the tomatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle bubble and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, adding more liquid as necessary to keep them moist. This will take anywhere from another 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the age of your dried beans.

BAKED BEAN CASSOULET

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large kettle, combine beans and water. Bring to boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 1 hour. Do not drain.
• Add celery, carrots, bouillion cubes and salt. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
• meanwhile , roll sausage pieces into small balls, saute in a large skillet until browned. Remove sausage. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, brown in drippings. Remove chicken.
• Saute onion, add tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce. Drain beans, reserving liquid. Combine all ingredients, except chicken and bean liquid, in a greased 6 quart Dutch oven .
• Top with chicken pieces. Pour 1 1/2 cups reserved bean liquid over casserole, sprinkle with paprika.
• Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.