Braised pork shanks with white beans are an elegant twist on classic pork and beans. This one-pot dish is warming, comforting and so easy to make!
I made these Thanksgiving weekend and had originally planed to cook them in the oven but I forgot that we had a spillover on Thanksgiving that hadn’t been cleaned up yet. I decided to cook the shanks on the stovetop in a Le Creuset which worked surprisingly well. The shanks turned out tender and fell off the bone.
The shanks were big which meant we had leftovers. I used a fork to pull the meat off the shanks to use in tacos the next days. Delicious!
Ingredients
Pair pasture raised shanks with pantry staples for an easy, warming winter dish.
- Pork shanks
- Flour
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- White wine
- Chicken stock
- Fresh thyme
- Bay leafs
- White beans
- Salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
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Step 1: Dry pork shank with a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt and cayenne.
Step 2: Heat a large pan over high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Step 3: Reheat pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Add carrots, garlic and celery and sauté for 2 minutes. Add white wine and let reduce about 5 minutes. Add shanks back to pot then add enough stock to just cover the shanks. Add thyme and bay leaf.
Step 4: Cover and cook over low heat, flipping shanks every 30 minutes. Cook for about 3 hours, until shanks are tender and easily come off the bone. Remove shanks from pot and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high to reduce mixture by ½, about 20 minutes. Add beans and heat for about 5 minutes. Serve shanks on a plate with a spoonful or two of beans and sauce.
Equipment
This recipe does not require any special or fancy equipment, but a Le Creuset enameled cast iron pot is always nice for braising meat.
Storage
Store the finished dish in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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Braised pork shanks with white beans
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Braised pork shanks with white beans is a warming, comforting winter dish.
Ingredients
2 lbs of pork shanks, about 2–3 shanks
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
½ white onion, chopped
1 glove of garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 cup of white wine
5-6 cups of chicken stock
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leafs
1 can of great northern white beans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Season pork shanks: In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt and cayenne. Add 1 shank at a time, coating completely with flour mixture. Remove from flour, shake off excess and set aside on a plate.
- Sear pork shanks: Heat a large pan over high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shanks and sear until browned on the outside, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove shanks and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Reheat pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Add carrots and celery and sauté for 2 minutes. Add white wine and let reduce about 5 minutes. Add shanks back to pot and just enough stock to just cover the shanks. Add thyme and bay leaf.
- Cook shanks: Cover and cook over low heat, flipping shanks every 20 minutes. Cook shanks for about 3 hours, until shanks are tender and easily come off the bone. Remove shanks from pot and set aside.
- Make sauce: Increase heat to medium-high to reduce mixture by ½, about 20 minutes. Add beans and heat for about 5 minutes. Serve shanks on a plate with a spoonful or two of beans and sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
This post is part of a partnership with Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative, but all opinions are my own.
I love this recipe! It’s really easy to make. I find it easier to cook mine in the oven instead for a few hours though, but like this stove top alternative if needed.
These were my favorite this winter. I made several times and they always came out delicious.
So glad you enjoyed these!