You will love our pork and beans! Tender pork shoulder slow roasts with butter beans, wild Cretan greens, garlic, and wine developing a flavor-rich, aromatic sauce. This delicious recipe is easy and has few ingredients for a wonderful meal to share with family and guests.

If you love our Pork and Beans recipe, you will also love Greek Pork Steaks,ย Pork Stew With Chickpeasย orย Pork Skewers With Yogurt And Lemon!

A roasted pork and beans and a spoon full of beans.

Why this recipe sings

  • It’s truly delicious. The ingredients come together harmoniously at the end of cooking. The sauce is rich in flavor, yet bright and light. The pork shoulder falls apart after slow roasting in the oven for three hours.
  • It is easy.ย This dish requires quick prep and few ingredients, and it cooks in about three and a half hours.
  • It is versatile. Make this dish for a Sunday dinner (or a dinner party), and you will not regret it. The leftovers are perfect for easy lunches and dinners for the week. The tender pork is ideal for sandwiches, and the sauce is great over rice, mashed potatoes, or even crispy fries.

Here is what you need

Pork shoulder, butter beans, celery, onions, garlic, wine, broth, greens bay leaves and a lemon, on wood, overhead shot.
  • Pork shoulderโ€”I love this cut because it has so much flavor and enough fat to caramelize in the oven. See below suggestions for other pork cuts
  • Beansโ€“this recipe uses two cans of butter beans. I pour the liquid from one can in the sauce. Canellini and Greek gigantes beans are terrific to use in this recipe.
  • Greensโ€“In this post, I am using stamnagathi greens from Crete. They are very difficult to find even in Athens, so when I make this dish, I use whatever the farmers’ market offers that day. You can also use greens like spinach, chard, and chicory.
  • Lemonsโ€“Juice and zest go into the pork rub with the garlic and rosemary leaves.
  • Garlic, onions, bay leaves and celery.
  • Rosemary leavesโ€“my favorite herb for the fall and winter. Its aroma enhances the pork flavor and infuses the wine sauce.
  • White wineโ€“ easily substituted with stock.
  • Chicken stockโ€“or vegetable.
  • Olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

How to make it

  • Peel the garlic and cut the onions into wedges. Cut the celery sticks into one-inch pieces. 
    Thoroughly wash the greens.
  • Add the garlic cloves and rosemary leaves into a food processor (or use a pestle and mortar). Add the lemon zest. Pulse together, add the lemon juice, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until you have a thick paste.
A pork shoulder rubbed with garlic rosemary paste.
  • Rub half the paste over the pork and let it sit on the counter for half an hour. 
  • Preheat your oven to 425ยฐF / 220ยฐC.
Onions, celery and garlic rosemary rub in a pot.
  • Place a large oven-proof pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
  • Add some olive oil. Add the onions, celery and remaining garlic paste. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the white wine and bring to a boil.
Onions, celery, beans in a pot with broth.
  • Drain the beans and save the juice from one can.
  • Add the beans and the bean juice.
Celery, onions and bay leaves boiling in a wine broth.
  • Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring everything to a boil. 
A pork shoulder with garlic rosemary rub on top of vegetables in a pan.
  • Place the pork shoulder on top of the beans. Drizzle olive oil on the pork and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes so the skin starts to crisp.

A spoon tucking greens in a pork and beans pan in the oven.
  • While the pork is in the oven, roughly cut the greens. After 30 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven. Stir in the greens, cover with a lid, and return to the oven. Reduce the heat to 160ยฐC / 320ยฐF.
  • Roast for 3 to 3.5 hours or until the meat is tender. 
  • To finish, remove the lid and turn the heat back up to 425ยฐF / 220ยฐ for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the top. 



A roasted pork and beans in a dark roasting pan.
  • Remove the pot from the oven, rest for 15 minutes, and serve. If you like, have lemon wedges around the table to add more lemon juice.

Helpful FAQS

How long can I marinate the pork shoulder?

You can marinate the pork shoulder for several hours or overnight, covered in the fridge.

How long do Greek pork and beans leftovers last?

To maintain the freshness of leftovers, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days. To reheat, transfer the leftovers to a pan, add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and heat over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until thoroughly heated.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, you can. Separate the beans and sauce from the meat and transfer them into freezer-safe containers, freezing them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, transfer the pork and beans in a skillet, add โ…“ cups water, cover, and heat over medium-low heat until warm and heated through.

A roasted pork and beans, shredded pieces of meat and a spoon full of beans.

What to serve with pork and beans

  • Saladโ€” A large leafy salad with a vinaigrette dressing and lots of crumbled feta on top is a perfect combination. A Caesar salad also suits this amazing dish very well.
  • Add bread to the tableโ€” Freshly baked warm bread is a treat with the sauce. Traditional Greek pita bread is also excellent.
  • Rice or mashed potatoesโ€” The sauce is ideal for both.
  • Frittersโ€” our potato feta fritters are highly recommended.
  • Dessertโ€” Our pork and beans recipe is light and will not leave you tired. So you can have room for a pice of our amazing karidopita-walnut cake!

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A roasted pork and beans in a dark roasting pan.

Pork and beans

by Jenny | The Greek Foodie
Tender pork shoulder slow roasts with butter beans, wild Cretan greens, garlic, and wine developing a flavor-rich, aromatic sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 6
Calories 654 kcal

Equipment

  • ovenproof pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lemon plus more for serving
  • 1 garlic head
  • ยฝ cup rosemary leaves
  • 4 lbs pork shoulder 2 kg
  • 3 onions
  • 3 celery sticks cut in 1-inch / 3 cm pieces
  • ยพ dry white wine
  • 2 cans butter beans or Greek gigantes or canellini
  • 1ยผ cup chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • โ…” lb greens chard, chicory, spinach
  • ยฝ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

  • Peel the garlic and cut the onions into wedges. Cut the celery sticks into one-inch pieces.
    Thoroughly wash the greens.
  • Grate the lemon zest into a food processor or a pestle and mortar).
    Add the garlic cloves and rosemary leaves.
    Blitz together, add in the lemon juice, season well, and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until you have a thick paste.
    Rub half of the paste over the pork and leave it to one side for half an hour.
  • Preheat your oven to 425ยฐF / 220ยฐC.
  • Drain the beans and save the juice from one can.
  • Place a large oven-proof casserole on the stove over medium-high heat.
    Add three tablespoons of olive oil.
    Add the onions, celery and remaining garlic paste.
    Saute for 5 minutes, then add the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the beans and the bean juice, the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring everything to a boil.
  • Place the pork shoulder on top of the beans. Rub the pork skin with a bit of olive oil, then place the pot in the oven.
    Cook for 30 minutes so the skin starts to crisp.
  • While the pork is in the oven, roughly cut the greens.
    After 30 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven. Stir in the greens, cover with a lid, and return to the oven.
    Reduce the heat to 160ยฐC/140ยฐC . Cook the pork for 3-3ยฝ hours, or until the meat is tender.
  • To finish, remove the lid and turn the heat back up to 425ยฐF / 220ยฐC for 10-15 minutes, to crisp up the skin.
  • Remove the meat from the oven, rest for 15 minutes, and serve.
    Have lemon wedges around the table to add more lemon juice if you like.

Notes

  • You can marinate the pork shoulder for longer and leave it covered in the fridge for several hours or even overnight.
  • In this recipe, I am using stamnagathi greens from Crete. They are difficult to find even in Athens, so when I make this dish, I use whatever the farmersโ€™ market offers that day. It can be spinach, chard, wild chicory, etc.
  • Thoroughly wash the greens in plenty of water.

ย 

Pork cuts for our Greek pork and beans

  • Shoulder joint
  • Collar joint
  • Pork shank
  • Belly joint
  • Leg roast
  • Leg joint
ย 
This pork and beans recipe can also be made with smaller cuts suitable for stew. To prepare the meat, sear it before cooking using the same method as our old-fashioned beef stew.
ย 
ย 
The nutritional analysis is only an estimate based on available ingredients and the recipeโ€™s preparation.ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 654kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 45gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 234mgPotassium: 1341mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 588IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 5mg
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Pork and beans

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