It is 80 degrees in New York City today (that's 26 degrees Celsius - one degree warmer than would be required to close school in Berlin!) and I'm spooning up pork ragout like it's the first day of winter and I've just settled in for the long haul. Strange? Perhaps. But awfully tasty.
I'll blame the fact that I have this wintry stew in my house in the first place on the fact that spring has taken its sweet old time getting here this year. You know the global weather's out of whack when Berliners are in shorts in April and we're still pulling out our wool coats well into May.
Last week, when this recipe flitted across my radar (from an old Pairings column from, you guessed it, the ever-reliable Florence Fabricant), it was just the right time for pork-and-beans - cold, windy, rather gray. Though I'm realizing that apparently warm, sunny and rather bright is also a good time for pork-and-beans. In fact, shall we just put it this way? When is it ever not a good time for pork-and-beans? Okay, maybe a July weekend at the beach. Maybe then.
And with that, I'm closing down the department of stews, ragouts and braises for the season. Bring on the salads, the cold soups, and the fresh fruit of summer!
Orange Pork Ragout with Beans
Yields 4 servings
1 cup Yellow Indian Woman beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, in 2-inch chunks
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
3 branches fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small pinch red chili flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Place beans in a saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, bring to a boil, cook 2 minutes, cover and set aside to soak 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart casserole and brown pork without crowding over medium-high heat. Remove. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté over low heat until soft. Stir in paprika, cloves and zest. Stir in orange juice and wine, scraping bottom of pan. Return pork to pan. Set aside until beans have finished soaking, then drain beans and add. Add rosemary, black pepper and chili. Bring to a simmer.
3. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 hours, until beans are tender. Add water occasionally, if needed. Season with salt. Leave in casserole for serving or transfer to a serving dish. Scatter parsley on top before serving.


I think I am enticed to make this dish simply because I love the name of the beans. Well, that's not entirely so, your photograph and description are lovely. I'll give them a try the next time we see some San Francisco fog--it's never very far away.
Posted by: denise | May 20, 2009 at 03:07 PM
What a way to move into Spring. I wouldn't have thought to pair pork and beans with orange. If there's another unseasonably cold day, I'm definitely going to give it a go.
Posted by: AliceWaters:Abridged | May 20, 2009 at 03:47 PM
I'm loving this recipe. It's very make-ahead friendly... soak the beans overnight, and put them in the slow cooker for the last 3 hours? Done and done. I'm making this ASAP.
Posted by: The Kitchenette | May 20, 2009 at 04:33 PM
This looks delicious! I'll try it this weekend.
Posted by: Lecia | May 20, 2009 at 04:58 PM
YUM! looks amazing!!!
Posted by: joanna goddard | May 20, 2009 at 05:46 PM
I have never heard of the kind of beans you mention, but they are so pretty and poetic sounding. Do you have to get them somewhere special?
I'm saving this one for the next rainy day.
Posted by: TheKitchenWitch | May 20, 2009 at 06:26 PM
KitchenWitch - they are simply wonderful. Firm and meaty, just the right size, with incredible flavor. I love them. You can get them at online at Rancho Gordo or Purcell Mountain Farms. The original recipe, however, calls for plain old cannellini beans, which I'm sure are fine here, too.
Posted by: Luisa | May 20, 2009 at 06:38 PM
Somehow, you made pork and beans sound downright sexy! How did you do THAT? ;-)
I am absolutely THRILLED that winter might really, truly be over for many months. Huzzah!
Posted by: Rose-Anne | May 20, 2009 at 08:17 PM
Well, it's always a good time to EAT pork and beans... just might be too hot to COOK them sometimes. :) baked beans go so well with barbeque food...
Posted by: KT | May 20, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Very interesting and tasty recipe! I will save this for the weekend!
Posted by: Treehouse Chef | May 20, 2009 at 11:37 PM
I'm sold. My husband is going to laugh when I serve this now that it's FINALLY feeling like spring in Chicago, but it sounds too good to resist!
Posted by: Erin | May 21, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Well, it's still strangely cool on the gold coast, so I'll have to give this one a try to ward off the unusual chill.
Posted by: laura | May 21, 2009 at 02:54 PM
That looks fantastic. it is funny because beans in France are very wintry but in Mexico where it is very hot they eat them all year round. this dish looks amazing!
Posted by: Ulla | May 21, 2009 at 07:13 PM
No need to apologize for still shopping in the Stew Department. I have pumpkin scones in the oven right now, which silly when strawberry season is right around the corner.
Posted by: The Leftoverist | May 22, 2009 at 10:02 AM
i love the sound of this one. as soon as we get some cooler weather (which will inevitably happen), i'm making this.
Posted by: BF | May 22, 2009 at 03:11 PM
That looks and sounds good. I can almost hope for yucky weather to be able and justify making it! It might be a great meal to prepare ahead!
Posted by: Grace F | May 22, 2009 at 06:00 PM
Who cares if it's hot outside? I live in Florida and cook things I want whenever I want. This looks wonderful!
Posted by: Barbara | May 23, 2009 at 07:00 AM
This looks so easy and delicious--thank you!
Posted by: unconfidentialcook.com | May 23, 2009 at 02:12 PM
Why not? Brazilians eat pork and beans all the time (feijoada) and it's dang hot down there!
Posted by: Darina | May 23, 2009 at 05:12 PM
As soon as the weather turns warmer I start to CRAVE stews and heavy foods! It's crazy! This looks fantastic, I hope to give it a try!
Posted by: dynagrrl | May 23, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Wow! This looks soooo good, as well as the carrot soup below. thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Eralda | May 25, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Bah, who cares if it's spring- it's always a good time for beans! Looks delicious. Thanks for posting this!
Posted by: Nicole | May 25, 2009 at 10:07 PM
Oh. My. Goodness.
That looks reeeeeeeeeeeeeally good!
Posted by: chelsea | May 28, 2009 at 12:33 PM
I made this on the rainy friday we had, and I used rancho gordo red appaloosa beans, and it was so tasty and filling and flavorful! Thanks for the recipe, this is definitely a winner!
Posted by: Hannah | May 31, 2009 at 03:02 PM
I refuse to shut down the braise or bean season, any time of year! Once again, you have published a recipe that is right in the sweet spot of what I like to cook and eat!
Posted by: Giff | June 01, 2009 at 01:46 AM
I have only just stumbled across your website and LOVE it! This recipe sounds like the perfect way to experiment with my mum's ancient crockpot this weekend - wonder how it'll go with the slow cooking method. Can't wait to go through your index of recipes - this is a great site!
Posted by: Kate | June 03, 2009 at 08:10 AM