Cassoulet (French White Bean and Pork Stew)
Quick answer
Cassoulet is a slow-cooked stew from the Languedoc region of southwestern France, combining white beans, pork shoulder, and sausage in chicken stock over a minimum of two hours.
What makes this special
- French Cassoulet slow-braises white beans and pork until the broth naturally thickens into a stew.
- White beans absorb stock and release starch to build thick body without any roux
- Pork shoulder collagen fully dissolves after 2 hours, adding a coating richness to the broth
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Soak 400g white beans in water for at least 8 hours.
- 2 Heat a thick pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- 3 Roughly chop 1 onion into the same pot and cook 4 minutes, add 1 carrot slic...
Cassoulet is a slow-cooked stew from the Languedoc region of southwestern France, combining white beans, pork shoulder, and sausage in chicken stock over a minimum of two hours. As the beans absorb broth during the long simmer, they gradually release their starch into the liquid. This natural thickening is what produces the stew's characteristic dense, coating texture without any added roux or flour. Collagen from the pork shoulder breaks down completely over the extended cooking time and dissolves into the broth, adding body, while the fat from the sausages emulsifies into the stew rather than pooling on the surface. Thyme manages the richness of the meats, and tomato paste provides acidity and structural depth. Preparing cassoulet a day in advance and allowing it to rest overnight lets the beans and meat exchange flavors fully, producing a noticeably deeper result than the freshly made version. This is a dish that requires time as an ingredient. Served in cold weather with a thick slice of crusty bread, a single bowl constitutes a complete meal.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Soak 400g white beans in water for at least 8 hours.
Drain, rinse, blanch in fresh water for 30 minutes to par-cook, then drain again. Fully soaked beans are essential for achieving the right tenderness after 2 hours of cooking.
- 2Control
Heat a thick pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Cut 500g pork shoulder into 4cm pieces, season with salt and pepper, sear in oil in 2-3 batches until all surfaces are browned. Brown 300g sausages the same way.
- 3Heat
Roughly chop 1 onion into the same pot and cook 4 minutes, add 1 carrot sliced 1.5cm thick and cook 3 more minutes, then add 4 minced garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 2 minutes to concentrate the flavor.
- 4Control
Add the par-cooked white beans, 1 liter chicken stock, 1 teaspoon thyme, and all the seared meat and sausages.
Bring to a boil over high heat, skim any foam, then reduce to the lowest heat.
- 5Control
Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for at least 2 hours.
Check after 1 hour and add more stock or water if the liquid has reduced too much. The beans are nearly ready when they crumble with no resistance under gentle fork pressure.
- 6Finish
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The dish is done when the pork pulls apart easily with a fork and the beans have melded with the sauce into a thick, cohesive stew. Serve with crusty bread.
After the steps
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