Name: Slow-Cooker Herbed Pork with White Beans and Kale
Total time: 8 h
Ingredients: 3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans (2 cans drained and rinsed, 1 can left undrained); 1 onion , chopped; 2 carrots , peeled and chopped; 2 celery ribs , chopped; 8 garlic cloves (4 sliced thin, 4 minced); 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for drizzling; 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary; 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage; 2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds; Salt and pepper; 1 (2½- to 3-pound) boneless pork butt roast , trimmed; 12 ounces kale , stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; Lemon wedges

Why This Recipe Works

It’s rare for a slow-cooker recipe with zero up-front cooking (whether on the stovetop or in the microwave) to deliver the goods in terms of flavor and visual appeal. But we wanted a truly tasty, comforting recipe for Tuscan-style pork with white beans and kale that did just that. For a pork “roast” with a pleasing crust (pleasing to the eyes and to the tastebuds), we skipped the stovetop searing, opting to coat the pork in a flavorful paste of olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. For creamy (not soupy) beans, we chose canned cannellini, using the liquid from one of the cans to ensure just enough moisture in the final dish. To put everything together, all we had to do was stir the canned beans with some chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and nestle in the pork. After a workday’s worth of slow cooking, we came back, pulled out the pork to let it rest, and tossed in some chopped kale to cook until just tender.

Before You Begin

We prefer the color and texture of Lacinato kale here, but you can substitute curly kale. Note that we use the liquid from one can of beans, so don’t drain them all up front. Pork butt is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket.

Instructions

Add 2 cans drained beans, 1 can beans and their liquid, onion, carrots, celery, and sliced garlic to slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Combine oil, rosemary, sage, fennel seeds, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and minced garlic in bowl. Rub paste all over pork. Nestle pork into bean mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork is tender, 8 to 9 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

Transfer pork to carving board and tent with aluminum foil. Add kale to bean mixture in slow cooker; cover and cook on high until kale is tender, about 30 minutes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork ½ inch thick. Serve pork with vegetables, drizzling individual portions with extra oil and passing lemon wedges separately.