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1
Score the fat side of the pork rind, cover it with cold water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
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2
Drain, cover with cold water again, and repeat the process, this time simmering for 30 minutes.
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3
Reserve the pork rind and its second cooking water separately.
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4
Preheat the oven to 450F.
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5
Drain the beans and place them in an 8-quart ovenproof pot with a lid.
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6
Cover them with water by at least 3 inches and bring to a boil.
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7
Reduce the heat and cook briskly, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
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8
Remove the pot from the heat and let the beans stand in the cooking liquid.
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9
Cut the wing tips off the duck and set them aside, along with the neck, heart, and gizzard.
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10
(Save the liver for another use.)
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11
Pull all the fat out of the duck, and season the cavity with salt and pepper.
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12
Put the duck in a small roasting pan.
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13
Put the lamb bones in a second small pan and roast, along with the duck, in the oven for 45 minutes.
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14
Drain the accumulated fat frequently.
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15
Remove from the oven after the cooking time; the duck should still be slightly underdone; the lamb bones should be well browned; reserve the lamb bones.
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16
Drain the juices from the duck cavity into a large bowl and reserve.
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17
Cool, cover, and refrigerate the duck.
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18
In a heavy skillet, brown the cubed lamb in olive oil in batches over medium heat, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
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19
Do not crowd the pan.
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20
Remove the browned lamb to a large bowl and reserve.
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21
Without cleaning the skillet, saute the pork cubes and the reserved duck giblets, neck, and wing tips in the same fashion, seasoning with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and the allspice.
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22
You may need to add a tablespoon or two of olive oil if the skillet is particularly dry at this point.
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23
Place the browned pork in the same bowl with the lamb.
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24
Drain and reserve the meat juices; cover and refrigerate the meat.
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25
Add the giblets and wing tips to the beans.
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26
Do not clean the skillet.
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27
Melt the rendered bacon fat in the skillet over low heat and saute the onions and carrots, stirring, until tender, about 20 minutes.
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28
Add to the pot with the beans.
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29
Add the vermouth, along with the duck, lamb, and pork juices, to the skillet.
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30
Bring to a boil.
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31
Lower the heat slightly and cook briskly, stirring, until the vermouth is slightly reduced and all browned cooking particles remaining in the skillet have dissolved.
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32
Pour the vermouth onto the beans.
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33
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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34
Stir in the tomato paste, the pork rind cooking liquid, beef stock, remaining thyme, the bay leaves, and the reserved lamb bones.
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35
Chop 6 of the garlic cloves and add to the beans.
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36
Add additional water if necessary; the liquid should just cover the beans.
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37
Put the pork rind, fat side down, on top of the beans, and cover the pot.
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38
Bake on the center rack of the oven until the beans are tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
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39
Remove and cool to room temperature, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
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40
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
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41
The next day, prick the garlic sausage all over with a fork and simmer in a pan of water for 30 minutes.
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42
Drain and reserve.
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43
Put the salt pork in a pan of cold water, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
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44
Drain, cover with cold water, and repeat, reserving the salt pork in its cooking water.
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45
Remove the pot of beans from the refrigerator.
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46
Discard the lamb bones, bay leaves, duck neck, and wing tips, and, if you can find them, the heart and gizzard.
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47
Drain the salt pork; cut off the rind and discard it.
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48
Chop the salt pork into cubes and place them in a food processor.
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49
Puree to a paste, dropping the 3 remaining garlic cloves through the feed tube while the motor is running.
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50
Stir the paste into the beans.
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51
Preheat the oven to 325F.
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52
Skin the duck, pull all the meat from the bones, and cut it into chunks.
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53
Stir the duck into the beans along with the lamb and pork cubes.
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54
Skin the garlic sausage and cut into rounds; stir into the beans.
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55
Before baking the cassoulet, check the beans.
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56
If they are too dry (it is preferable that they be too moist), stir in a cup or two of warm water.
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57
Smooth the top of the beans, mix the bread crumbs with the parsley, and sprinkle half the mixture over the beans.
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58
Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
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59
Remove from the oven, stir the top crust into the beans, sprinkle on the remaining bread crumb mixture, and bake until a crust has formed and browned well, another 45 minutes.
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60
Serve immediately.
