Ingredients (~10 servings)
- 4 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder (excess fat cap trimmed)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (for searing)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 12 cups chicken stock (divided use)
- 3 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 bay leaves
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Build a Fond with a Hard Sear
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture thoroughly into every crevice of the pork shoulder.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Sear the pork roast on all sides.
Take your time here; spend about 3-4 minutes per side. You want a deep, dark brown crust, as this fond (the brown bits on the bottom of the pot) provides the primary flavor for the soup.
Braise Until it Falls Apart
Pour 3 cups of the chicken stock into the pot around the pork. This small amount of liquid creates a humid environment for braising without boiling the flavor out of the meat.
Cover the pot with a heavy lid and transfer it to the oven. Cook for ~3 hours.
The pork is done when you can pull it apart using two forks with zero resistance.
Shred the Meat and Thicken the Broth
Remove the pot from the oven. Shred the pork directly in the pot; it should fall apart into strands and mix with the concentrated, rendered juices at the bottom.
Add the drained cannellini beans, the remaining 9 cups of chicken stock, and the bay leaves.
Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Simmer for ~20 minutes. This allows the starchy beans to soften further and thicken the broth slightly.
Cut the Fat with Lemon Juice
Turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaves.
Stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley. Do not skip the lemon; the pork shoulder is fatty and rich, and without the sharp hit of acid to cut through it, the soup will taste heavy and greasy. Taste for salt and serve.
Pork and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients (~10 servings)
- 4 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder excess fat cap trimmed
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil for searing
- 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 12 cups chicken stock divided use
- 3 cans cannellini beans 15 oz each, rinsed and drained
- 3 bay leaves
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Mix spices and rub thoroughly into pork shoulder.
- Sear pork in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side.
- Pour 3 cups chicken stock around pork.
- Cover and bake at 350°F for 3 hours until meat shreds easily.
- Shred pork directly in pot.
- Add beans, remaining stock, and bay leaves.
- Simmer on stovetop for 20 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Stir in lemon juice and parsley.
- Adjust seasoning and serve.
