Slow Cooked Pork And Beans -- The Valentine’s Dinner That Held Us Together

Valentine's Day Tuesday. I was on the road for a short Lincoln run. I came home by dinner. Dave had made me pork chops (his cooking peak). We ate. I had heart-shaped rolls I'd made Monday. Gayle ate with us. Kids ate with us. Full table. It was perfect.

Wednesday Gayle had a small setback — felt short of breath, called me from the guest room. I checked her vitals (I now have a cuff). Blood pressure was fine. Oxygen was 94%. Heart rate elevated but not alarming. I called her doctor. We went in Thursday. The doctor adjusted nothing but added a standing order for home oxygen "if we need it." We have not needed it. We may need it. Dave drove me and Gayle home from the appointment. Gayle sat in the back seat. She did not speak. I held her hand over the seat. She held it back.

Drove an Omaha run Friday. A one-day round trip. Back by dinner.

Book two at 25,000 words. Dave asked me this weekend whether I think I will write a third book. I said, "I don't know, honey." He said, "You will." I laughed. He said, "I know you." He does know me. I might. I will see what shows up.

Saturday Gayle and I sat in the sunroom for an hour. It was sunny — first sunny Saturday in weeks. The light came through the windows and made the room warm. She drank coffee. She said, "This is a nice room, Brenda." I said, "It is, Ma." She said, "I would have built a room like this if I had thought of it." I said, "You are in it now." She said, "Thank God." We did not say anything else. She closed her eyes. I read a book. A long quiet span of a mother and daughter in a sunroom. I am writing about it now because I want to remember it. I am going to forget so many of these hours. I am keeping the ones I can.

Dave made the pork chops that Tuesday, and I made the rolls the day before — heart-shaped, because it was Valentine’s Day and because some things are worth the small effort. A full table, everyone we loved in the same room: that is what pork does when you cook it right. It gathers people. This slow cooked pork and beans is the recipe I reach for when I want that same feeling on a weeknight — something that simmers while the day finishes itself, something that smells like home when you walk through the door.

Slow Cooked Pork and Beans

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 cans (15 oz each) navy beans or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Season the pork. Pat pork chunks dry and season on all sides with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
2. Layer the slow cooker. Add the diced onion and garlic to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the seasoned pork on top.
3. Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Pour over the pork.
4. Add beans and tomatoes. Spoon the drained beans and diced tomatoes over and around the pork. Add red pepper flakes if using.
5. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, or on HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily.
6. Shred and stir. Use two forks to gently break the pork into large pieces directly in the slow cooker. Stir everything together and let sit uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
7. Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread, rolls, or over rice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 580mg