Name: Slow-Cooker Pork and White Bean Stew With Kale
Total time: 6 h
Ingredients: 3 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans , rinsed; 4 cups chicken broth , plus extra as needed; 2 onions , chopped fine; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme; Salt and pepper; 1½ pounds boneless country-style pork ribs , trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces; 8 ounces kale , stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Why This Recipe Works

Boneless country-style pork ribs required minimal prep work, and thanks to plenty of intramuscular fat they were moist and fall-apart tender after several hours in the slow cooker. Dried beans were still undercooked by the time the pork was done, but canned white beans cooked through perfectly in the same amount of time and required little preparation. To give the stew body, we pureed a portion of the beans with broth before adding them to the slow cooker. To boost the fresh flavor of the stew and complement the rich pork and beans, we added 2 tablespoons of whole-grain mustard after the kale had cooked through. Cutting the kale into 1-inch pieces allowed the hearty green to become tender in just 20 minutes of cooking time.

Before You Begin

Look for country-style pork ribs with lots of fat and dark meat, and stay away from ribs that look overly lean with pale meat, as they will taste very dry after the extended cooking time.

Instructions

1. Process one-third of beans and 1 cup broth in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to slow cooker.

Microwave onions, oil, garlic, thyme, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in remaining beans and remaining 3 cups broth. Season pork with salt and pepper and stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork is tender, 6 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 6 hours on high.

Stir in kale, cover, and cook on high until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Adjust consistency with extra hot broth as needed. Stir in mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with extra oil.