A nourishing, slow-cooked family meal that’s full of flavour and gentle enough for little tummies. This one-pot wonder uses pork shoulder or neck – both rich in collagen and perfect for slow cooking. With the sweetness of fennel, fibre from beans, and a zesty gremolata on top to bring it all together, this dish is cosy, comforting, and full of gut-loving goodness. It’s the kind of meal that tastes even better the next day, and just quietly – it’s beautiful spoon-fed or finger-fed for babies too.
Age Appropriate:
Suitable from 6 months+
- For spoon-feeding: Mash or blend the pork, beans and veggies with a little broth until smooth or soft and lumpy.
- For baby-led weaning: Offer soft strips of pork, chunks of fennel, and flattened beans.
- The lemony gremolata is bold but wonderful for babies exploring flavour – just offer a small amount to start.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve as is, topped with gremolata and some crusty sourdough or mash.
- Spoon into a bowl with couscous, quinoa, or soft polenta.
- Serve with some crispy roast potatos and fresh green salad
- For toddlers, you can also stir through some cooked pasta for a comforting bowl-style meal.
Storage:
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Ingredient Swaps:
- Cannellini beans: Butter beans or chickpeas also work well.
- Leek: Use 1 brown onion if you don’t have a leek.
- Bone broth: Any good-quality chicken or vegetable broth or stock is fine. We love Undivided Food Co – grab the fridge version from Harris Farm or the pantry-stable one via Part & Parcel (use code BOOBTOFOOD).
Lemony Pork and Bean Stew
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg pork shoulder or pork neck cut into large chunks
- 1 leek white part only, finely sliced
- 1/2 bulb fennel finely sliced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 750 ml chicken bone broth
- 400 grams tin cannelini beans drained and rinsed
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme stalks removed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- olive oil or cooking fat
- salt and pepper to taste
Gremolata
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 small bunch parsley finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic grated or minced
- 2-3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil we used Cobram Estate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 150°C (fan-forced).
- In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork pieces and cook until browned, then remove and place on a plate.
- Add the leek, fennel, celery and garlic, and sauté for 5–7 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to caramelise slightly. Add the apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits from the bottom.
- Return the pork pieces to the pot. Add the bone broth, thyme, bay leaves and lemon zest. Season with a little salt and pepper if desired.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2.5 hours, then remove the lid and stir in the cannellini beans.
- Return to the oven for another 30 minutes, uncovered, until the pork is tender and the broth has thickened slightly.
- Once out of the oven, stir through the lemon juice to brighten the flavour. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Slow Cooker Method
- Optional but recommended: Heat olive oil in a pan and sear the pork chunks on all sides until browned. Set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the leek, fennel, celery and garlic until softened (around 5–7 minutes). Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze with apple cider vinegar.
- Transfer everything to your slow cooker, including the pork, broth, lemon zest, thyme, bay leaves and a small pinch of salt and pepper (omit for babies under 12 months).
- Cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the pork is meltingly tender.
- In the final 30–60 minutes, stir in the rinsed beans and let them warm through.
- Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice to brighten the flavours, and top with the gremolata.
Gremolata
- In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, parsley, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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