Slow-Cooker Country-Style Pork Ribs with Sausage and Beans 2/2005

By djtilley

Ingredients

• 6 6
• 1 pound dried great northern beans (2 cups), picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight
• 3 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs , trimmed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped medium
• 6 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1-inch kielbasa sausage , cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1 minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

1. Drain the beans and add them to the slow cooker. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the ribs, about 10 minutes, then add to the slow cooker. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons oil and the remaining ribs.

2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the empty skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes, then pour into the slow cooker.

3. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the kielbasa, broth, thyme, fennel, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Cover and cook, on either low or high, until the pork is tender and the beans are soft, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. Before serving, discard the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Make Ahead

The night before (or a day in advance), soak the beans and prepare the recipe through step 2. Instead of adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, refrigerate them, but be sure to store the browned meat in one container and the remaining ingredients in another container. In the morning, drain the beans and add them to the slow cooker, then add the remaining chilled ingredients and proceed with step 3. The cooking time will run to the high end of the range given in the recipe.