Slow Cooked Pork & White Beans with Kale Chimichurri

This meal right here is what I like to call a “transitional” meal. It’s a hearty winter meal but it has bright notes freshness thanks to a zesty kale chimichurri. The kale at the farm has overwintered beautifully and though I did make and freeze a TON of traditional parsley chimichurri (which would also be lovely here) I wanted to play around with the fresh kale and hold onto my freezer stash for a while longer.

Ingredients:

Kale Chimichurri

•     3 cloves of garlic, peeled
•     1 cup firmly packed kale leaves, tough stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
•     1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•     2 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
•     1 teaspoon fine sea salt
•     1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•     1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pork and Beans

•     2  teaspoons kosher salt, divided
•     1 teaspoon black pepper
•     1 teaspoon ground cumin
•     1 teaspoon ground coriander
•     1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•     1 (4 pound) pork shoulder
•     1 pound dry Great Northern or Navy beans, rinsed and picked over (no need to soak)
•     4 cups unsalted chicken or pork stock
•     6 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
•     2 medium-sized onions, chopped
•     2 teaspoons dried oregano
•     2 bay leaves
•     salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the chimichurri by combining all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve (I like leaving this at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving).
2. In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and pepper flakes. Rub the mixture all over the pork (it’s optional to brown the pork before placing in the slow cooker for a more in-depth flavor but that step is completely optional).
3. Place the pork in the slow cooker and arrange the beans around the pork. Add the stock, garlic, onion, oregano and bay leaves. Sprinkle everything with a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Cook on low until the beans and pork are completely tender, 7-8 hours.
4. Remove the pork and when cool enough to hand shred with two forks. Return the pork to the pot and give it a good stir. Keep warm until ready to serve.
5. Serve with the chimichurri and a slice of sourdough bread for dunking.