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1
Make bouquet garni Tie the herbs, celery, and leek into a bundle with kitchen twine, wrapping the string around several times to secure the smaller herbs.
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2
Render fat and brown pork In a large (8-quart) pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
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3
Add fatback or pork belly and cook until fat has rendered and meat is light golden, about 4 minutes.
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4
Add the pork shoulder and cook, tirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
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5
Pour off all but 1/4 cup fat.
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6
Cook beans Stick the clove in the onion and cut onion in half; add it to the pot along with the bouquet garni, ham hock, carrot, tomatoes and juice, and beans.
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7
Cover with water by 2 inches (about 8 cups).
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8
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the beans are tender but not falling apart, about 40 minutes.
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9
Remove from heat.
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10
Use tongs to remove and discard the onion, carrot, and bouquet garni.
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11
Remove meat from ham hocks Heat oven to 300F.
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12
Remove the ham hocks.
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13
When cool enough to handle, cut away and discard the skin.
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14
Dice the meat into small pieces and return to the pot.
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15
Layer beans and meat in pot Rub the inside of a large (8-quart) Dutch oven or cast-iron pot with garlic halves.
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16
Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer half of the bean mixture to the pot, spreading in an even layer (reserve the cooking liquid).
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17
Arrange the duck and sausage over the beans, then cover with the remaining beans.
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18
Pour in cooking liquid until it comes just below the top of the beans (about 3 cups) and reserve the rest of the liquid (there should be 1 to 2 cups remaining).
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19
Bake cassoulet Bake, uncovered, 2 hours; check every half hour or so to make sure the mixture is bubbling (adjust heat if necessary) and that the liquid hasnt fallen more than 1/2 inch below the surface of the beans (add more reserved cooking liquid or water, if necessary).
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20
Remove from oven.
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21
Top with bread crumbs and finish baking Toss the bread crumbs with the butter.
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22
Sprinkle evenly over the mixture in the pot and continue baking 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, or until the bread crumbs are crisp and golden.
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23
Serve Let cassoulet stand 10 to 20 minutes to allow it to cool and ensure that the beans soak up more of the liquid.
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24
Serve individual portions on warmed dishes.
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25
Any leftovers can be cooled completely, then refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days; reheat in a 300F oven until warmed through.
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26
Fatback, which is unsmoked and unsalted, can be substituted with uncured pork belly (not to be confused with salt pork, which also comes from the belly but is very salty).
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27
Both can be found at butchers shops, as can smoked ham hocks, which are also often found at supermarkets.
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28
To save time, you can use store-bought duck confit instead of making your own.
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29
It is available through DArtagnan (www.dartagnan.com) and other specialty food purveyors.
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30
You can use Great Northern or Tarbais beans in place of navy beans, but canned beans are not an acceptable substitution.
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31
A large (8-quart) pot is needed to simmer the beans.
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32
The traditional pot for cassoulet is an oval earthenware, but any enameled cast-iron Dutch oven or other pot with a tight-fitting lid will do.
