Cassoulet From Toulouse

Cut pork butt into 1-inch cubes, season with salt and pepper and set aside for 2 hours. Poke needle holes in ham hock, season and set aside. Drain beans, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Blanch fatback cubes in boiling water for 2 minutes. Place in 2-gallon soup pot with duck fat and place over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic and Jambon and cook until light golden brown, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add pork butt and ham hock and cook until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add 5 cups of the stock and bring to boil. Lower heat, simmer 1 hour, covered. Add beans and simmer 1 hour more. Allow to cool overnight.

Scrape fat off confit legs and place 2 tablespoons in 12-inch sauté pan with salt pork and place over medium heat. Cook until salt pork pieces are lightly browned, about 7 to 8 minutes. Place fat pieces and liquid into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add to beans and place beans in a large pot over medium heat. Remove ham hock and roughly cut meat into 1/2-inch cubes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a 6-quart crockery casserole, lay 1/3 of the bean pork mixture. Sprinkle with ham hock pieces and cover with 1/3 of bean pork mixture. Lay duck pieces over beans. Sauté Toulouse sausages in a non-stick pan until golden brown and lay, still hot, over duck and beans. Place remaining beans over everything and add remaining cup of stock. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours until crispy golden brown on top and serve.

Source: MEDITERRANEAN MARIO with Mario Batali From the TV FOOD NETWORK - (Show # ME-1A22)