Do you often think of serving beans as a side dish to beef? Can’t say that I do, but these were really delicious with the Italian Beef in Barolo wine (you can see it in the background). They’re great on their own – the beans – and you could probably add some broth and make it a soup if you have any left over. Or better yet, whatever part of the Italian Beef (and sauce) you have left over, add that into the soup. Sounds like a plan to me!
When my DH was alive, because he was a Type 1 diabetic, I really limited carbs, and figured it was just as well for me too. Not that we didn’t eat any, just that I limited them, or we had very small portions. So, when I was at a recent cooking class with Diane Phillips, I certainly took note of the serving of a bean side dish with a roast. The beans were exceedingly easy to make, and were a very nice textural change. Diane said the roast could be served with mashed potatoes or noodles, but these beans . . . well, they were really delicious.
In the recipe below directions are included for both stove top and slow cooker. Both are easy – stove top takes about 2 hours, and in the slow cooker it will take 8-9 hours on low or 4-5 on high. Make these the day before you need them – they’ll taste even better. That way you’ll have the slow cooker available to make the roast.
Did you know how/why what we used to call a crockpot was changed to slow cooker? I certainly didn’t. Diane has written 2 cookbooks about using such appliances, and she knew enough to call them slow cooker books. Rival (the brand) trademarked the name “crockpot” decades ago, so only something made in a Rival pot can be called a recipe for a crockpot or a cookbook would only be published by their company. Interesting, huh? Diane also told us in the class that she followed the testing done by Cook’s Illustrated about any of these types of appliances. According to the tests, Rival brand’s crockpots run about 20° higher temperature than nearly all the other brands. She doesn’t use Rival at all. But she recommended the All-Clad (which is what I have, but I also use my risotto maker as a slow cooker because it has a smaller capacity (more suitable for me, now).
So, back to the beans . . . it’s best if you allow the dried beans to sit overnight amply covered in water, which plumps them up some and gives the cooking a little kick-start. You cook a bit of pancetta, garlic and fresh rosemary, add it all to the slow cooker with chicken broth or vegetable broth, cover and cook. How simple is that?
What’s GOOD: these make a really nice side to a tasty meat dish. Or it could be an entrée too, but I’d probably add more flavoring (like celery, fresh fennel, even carrots) if I were doing it that way. And remember my suggestion – after serving for an main meal, turn the left overs into soup with any other goodies you’ve got hanging around your refrigerator.
What’s NOT: nary a thing, other than you need to plan ahead – soak the beans overnight – make them – and they’ll be better if you make them a day ahead of serving anyway.
Files: MasterCook 5+ and MasterCook 14 (click on link to open recipe in MC)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Tuscan White Beans with Pancetta, Garlic & Sage
Recipe By: Diane Phillips, cookbook author and instructor
Serving Size: 8
1 pound white beans — rinsed, picked over for stones
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 slices pancetta — thinly sliced, finely diced
2 whole garlic cloves — sliced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary — chopped (or use fresh thyme)
6 cups low sodium chicken broth — or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons Italian parsley — chopped (garnish)
1. STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS: Place beans in a large bowl, add enough cold water to cover them by about 2 inches, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp overnight. Rinse the beans and drain.
2. In a Dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat and cook pancetta until crisp.
3. Add garlic and rosemary and cook another 1-2 minutes until oil is fragrant (but do not brown or burn the garlic).
4. Add beans, broth and cook, covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring frequently, adding more broth as needed until the beans are tender.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve with parsley sprinkled on top.
7. SLOW COOKER METHOD: Place beans in a large bowl, add enough cold water to cover them by about 2 inches, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp overnight. Rinse the beans and drain.
2. In a skillet heat oil over medium-high heat and cook pancetta until crisp.
3. Add garlic and rosemary and cook another 1-2 minutes until oil is fragrant (but do not brown or burn the garlic).
4. Add those ingredients to the slow cooker, then add beans, broth and cook on slow cooker’s low setting for 8-9 hours, until the beans are tender.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve with parsley sprinkled on top.
Per Serving: 509 Calories; 17g Fat (29.6% calories from fat); 53g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 79mg Cholesterol; 3455mg Sodium.
hddonna
said on March 4th, 2015:
America’s Test Kitchen equipment reviews can be very helpful, but sometimes they can be frustrating as well, as they change–usually right after I have made a purchase based on them! When I wanted a new slow cooker, about a year and a half ago, the Crockpot touchscreen model was the top choice. It was said to cook all the dishes tested perfectly, and it had the feature that it would not automatically stop cooking after 12 hours. One reason I wanted a new one was that my two older Crockpots seemed to cook too fast. Even on low, they simmered vigorously. Well, the new one does the same. And I noticed in the most recent reviews, this model was no longer preferred. A disadvantage to the electronic models that I was not aware of until I purchased one is that if the electricity goes out, even flickers, the programming is lost and the cooker will stop. That means that if you come home and find the cooker off, you are advised to throw out the food because you do not know how long is was not cooking. Needless to say, I don’t use my newest slow cooker when I am going to be away from home. Such a disappointment!
That’s really interesting. I had kind of decided that Rival wasn’t staying up with the times (this was some years ago) so I wasn’t going to buy one of theirs in any case. My friend Cherrie bought the All-Clad that has the removable metal pan and raved about it, so I just took her advice. I’m not unhappy I made that choice, although it’s a very, VERY large slow cooker. Larger than I ever needed for cooking for 2, and certainly larger than I will likely every use cooking for 1 person. Hence, I use my little risotto cooker which has a slow cooker function. But I think IT cooks a little hot also. I have to watch that because it keeps things at a very slow boil, not just below as I think it should. Hopefully you didn’t spend a lot of money for your Crockpot brand? If not, maybe you can buy a new one, one of these days . . . carolyn t . . . oh, glad you enjoyed the pot roast!
Toffeeapple
said on March 4th, 2015:
I love the sound of the beans though I would buy canned beans and add flavour as you have done, since the cost of cooking them from scratch would be more than the cost of the can.
I don’t have a slow cooker. In fact I have very little in the way of electrical goods, not even a microwave oven!
I’d say you’re a real minimalist, Toni! There are lots of appliances that I don’t have, but I do have 2 regular ovens, a microwave/convection oven and a toaster oven. Overkill, obviously, but I use them all. . . . carolyn