Italian Roasted Pork and Bean Stew

A New Year’s Day gathering is all about manifesting good things to come. A big pot of my warm and hearty Italian Roasted Pork and Bean Stew is one of my favorite ways to ring in the new year. In many cultures, pork symbolizes prosperity for the coming year. Topped with a spicy sour cream and fresh herbs, you will be feeling RICH in no time. Happy New Year!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

7 pound pork roast, salt and peppered

1 bottle of white wine

½ cup of orange juice

½ cup of spicy brown mustard

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

½ cup brown sugar

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

½ cup of olive oil

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons Calabrian chili powder, or regular chili powder

2 cups of chopped fennel

2 cups of sliced red bell pepper

4 cans cannellini beans, rinsed

2 cans tomato puree

½ cup of pitted and sliced Castelvetrano olives

1 ½ tablespoon salt or to taste

1 tablespoon of pepper

2 cups of roast juices

For topping:

Sour cream and Calabrian chili paste

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a bowl, mix ½ cup of spicy brown mustard, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, ½ cup of brown sugar. Stir in ½ cup of orange juice to make a paste. Coat the pork roast with the paste and place in a large dutch oven. Pour 1 bottle of white wine and ½ cup of orange juice into the dutch oven. Cover the pan and roast for 3½ - 4 hours until the pork reaches 190 degrees internally. Remove the roast from the oven. Remove the meat and let it rest, covered, on a cutting board for 30 minutes while you prepare the chili. Reserve 2 cups of the roasting juice and set aside. Discard the rest and wipe out the dutch oven with a towel.

Place the dutch oven over medium heat and add ½ cup of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of chili powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the spices very fragrant. Lower the heat and add in 2 cups of chopped fennel and 2 cups of sliced red bell peppers. Cook for 10 minutes until softened.

Add in the 4 cans of cannellini beans, the tomato puree, ½ cup of pitted and sliced Castelvetrano olives, 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of ground pepper, and the reserved roast juices.

Remove the cooked roast from the dutch oven and place into the bowl of a stand mixer. On low, shred the meat into small pieces. You can also shred the meat by hand using two forks to pull it apart. Place the shredded meat into the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the meat and beans are heated through. Taste for seasonings and adjust to your liking.

Serve warm topped with spicy sour cream and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!