Roast Pork Shoulder with Flageolet Beans

I am so happy because I keep finding interesting and delicious recipes in Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook. Today, I made a variation of her Roast Lamb with White Beans dish. Since my butcher did not have any boneless leg of lamb in stock, I used a slab of boneless pork shoulder instead and pair that with Flageolet beans from Rancho Gordo. I also decided to use ghee instead of olive oil because I think it made the beans taste richer. Since I usually find her recipe a bit saltier than my liking, I put less salt than what she specified in her recipe.


Ingredients:
1 lb of Flageolet beans, soaked overnight in the refrigerator
1 quart of chicken stock (or water)
4.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder
2.5 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, plus more for brushing
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons ghee
2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup diced carrots (2 carrots)
1 cup diced celery (2 stalks) - i didn't have any so i skipped this
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
salt & pepper

Directions:

• Drain the beans, place in a large saucepan with chicken stock (or water) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the beans in the stock for 30 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• While the beans cook, butterfly the pork shoulder to open it up flat. Combine 1.5 tablespoons of garlic, 1.5 tablespoons of the rosemary, 2 teaspoons of the thyme, the mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl. Smear the mixture evenly over the exposed surface of the pork, roll it up and tie the roast neatly with kitchen string.
• Place the pork seam side down on a roasting pan. Brush the outside lightly with mustard, then sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Add the carrot chunks to the pan and roast for about 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145F at the thickest part of the roast. Take out the roasting pan out of the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the ghee then add the onions, diced carrots and celery (if you use it), and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Add parsley, the remaining garlic, 2 tablespoons of thyme, 1.5 tablespoons of rosemary, and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the beans and 2 cups of the cooking stock and cook for 15 minutes until the stock makes a little sauce and becomes somewhat thicker. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove the string and slice the pork. Serve it resting on the Flageolet beans and roasted carrots.