Braised Cochon Cheeks and Bacon Jam Cassoulet

Read more about 2017 Small Town Chefs winner Dustie Latiolais in our July 2017 profile. Tickets are now on sale for the Small Town Chefs Dinner, August 20 at the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried cannellini beans
• Kosher salt
• 1 quart homemade or store-bought bone broth
• 3 pounds pork cheeks
• 2 tablespoons duck fat/bacon fat
• 8 ounces belly bacon thick cut
• ¼ cup Cochon Cannery Apple Bacon Butt Rub
• 1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 carrot, unpeeled, cut into 3-inch sections
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch sections
• 1 whole head garlic
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cloves
• 1 jar Cochon Cannery Bacon Jam

Method

1. In a large bowl, cover beans with 3 quarts water and add 3 tablespoons salt. Stir to combine and let sit at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse beans and set aside. 
2. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. 
3. Place stock in a large liquid measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Set aside. 
4. Heat duck fat in a large Dutch oven over high heat until hot. Add pork cheeks, bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. 
5. Season pork cheeks with Cochon Cannery Apple Bacon Butt Rub. 
6. Cook without moving until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip pork cheek pieces and continue cooking until lightly browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. 
7. Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot. Add onions to pot and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until onions are translucent and slightly browned, about 4 minutes. 
8. Add drained beans, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, cloves, and bone broth mixture. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce to low, cover Dutch oven and cook until beans are almost tender but retain a slight bite, about 45 minutes. 
9. Using tongs, remove carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaves, and cloves, and discard. 
10. Add pork cheeks, Cochon Cannery Bacon Jam to the pot and stir to incorporate, making sure that the cheek pieces end up on top of the beans. Beans should be almost completely submerged. 
11. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until a thin crust forms on top.