Winter white bean & beef stew

Story, recipe and photography by Gaby Weir Vera

I was wrangling hot and fragrant sourdough bread from the oven on a winter morning when I thought, “I need to make a stew to accompany this bread.” Our daughter Erika and my little sister Camila were coming over later that day for Sunday Supper. They’d gone out on the town the night before, and I knew they’d need a warm dish to bring them back to life.  

After running a quick inventory of our fridge and pantry, I found some leftover beef pot roast, as well as a forgotten bag of white beans in the back of the pantry. With these two treasures, I came up with the ambitious idea of making a pot of “Beef-n-Beans.” I had my doubts about this for a few reasons, all tied to tradition and time: the classic pork and beans consist of pork for a good reason; they are a magical pairing. Second, I had not pre-soaked the dried beans overnight–, a traditional method used for speeding up the cooking process, and finally, I don’t own a pressure cooker or instant pot, a modern method for hurrying cooking time.

I had clear indicators that this stew wouldn’t be a quick-n-easy meal, but I wasn't deterred. Luckily, it was still morning and time was on my side. I wanted to really challenge myself and embody the Leftovers spirit with this stew. I jumped right on it with great enthusiasm. I curated a set of veggies to work as my sofrito and worked to build the flavor base from there. Time was a friend, and did most of the work for me. The result was as magical as its classic counterpart, especially paired with a hearty slice of freshly baked sourdough bread. Each a delight on its own, but even better together. 

Let’s cook!

Winter White Bean & Beef Stew 

Serves | 10 |

2 tbsp achiote-infused pork lard or plain pork lard

2 cups yellow onions, medium diced

1 ½ cups celery, medium diced

1 cup green bell pepper, medium diced

½ cup scallions, white ends, sliced small 

1 tbsp coarse kosher salt (I used Morton in this recipe) plus more to taste

1 tsp cayenne pepper, ground 

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 cups zucchini, medium diced

2 tbsp garlic, minced 

½ cup scallions, green tops, sliced small 

2 tbsp Italian Herbs paste 

2 cups leftover pot roast, pulled apart

1 lb dried white beans 

2 quarts water, plus more as needed

½ cup cilantro, rough chopped, for garnishing

¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced, for garnishing

| Preparation |

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Place the pork lard in the pot and fully melt. Add the yellow onion, celery, green bell pepper, and scallions, stir gently to combine and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and add spices to the pot, stirring gently to combine. Add the zucchini, scallions, and herb paste, and stir gently for about 2 minutes. Add the pulled beef, the white beans, and the water, stirring well to combine. Raise the temperature to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low to bring down to a simmer. Place the lid over the pot leaving a small section uncovered to allow the steam to flow easily. Simmer for 2 ½ hours or until the beans are soft, occasionally stirring the pot, and adding cold water, as needed, when the liquid reduces in order to avoid the contents drying out. When the beans are soft, remove from the heat. Serve in a bowl and top with fresh cilantro and scallions, accompanied by a slice of buttered sourdough. Enjoy! 

Additional notes: 

Sofrito: is used in cooking throughout Latin America. It's a fragrant blend of aromatics, vegetables, herbs and/or spices used to season countless dishes, such as stews. It’s comparable to mirepoix in the sense that it’s  the foundation upon which a recipe is built and it's integral to Latin cuisine. When I improvise in the kitchen, I'm naturally drawn to start with a sofrito, it’s a safe place for me.

Dried bean myth: “beans ought to be soaked overnight prior to cooking.” You’ve probably heard this one. Pre-soaking dried beans initiates the absorption process, which speeds up the overall cooking time. Other than that, the bean can be cooked from dried and it isn’t necessary to soak. As most things that are cooked low and slow, cooking the beans for a longer period of time allows the stew to develop a richer, deeper flavor. While soaking the beans might save you a little bit of cooking time, it can also decrease the overall flavor of the dish.