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Stewed Borlotti Beans

Pop the cap from a bottle of dunkel alongside that pastrami on rye. The beer’s bitter, hoppy finish has touches of smoke and spice, like the rich meat. But its relatively light body balances the succulence of the sandwich.Taking the deli icon as my inspiration, I simmered some borlotti beans (kidney, black or cannellini beans would do just as well) with chunks of pastrami instead of the more usual smoked pork or sausages. Mustard seeds, cumin and black pepper picked up the seasonings in the meat. The caraway suggested seeded rye. For a final grace note, I swirled in some prepared mustard.Serve the beans for a hearty lunch or supper, with slabs of sturdy rye bread and pickles.

Ingredients

For the stewed borlotti beans

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ cups borlotti or other dried beans (about 10 ounces)
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 4 ½ to 5 cups beef stock
  • ½ pound pastrami, in one piece
  • Salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)

      590 calories; 15 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 47 grams protein; 51 milligrams cholesterol; 1641 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

3 to 4 servings

Preparation

For the stewed borlotti beans

  1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat until soft. Stir in the mustard seeds, caraway and cumin. Cook a minute or so, then stir in the beans and thyme. Add 4 1/2 cups stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer. Cut pastrami into 6 pieces and add.
  2. Simmer, stirring from the bottom occasionally to make sure the beans are not sticking, adding a little more stock as needed. After an hour, season with salt and pepper. Simmer another 45 minutes to an hour, until the beans are tender and the broth has thickened and reduced and is no longer soupy.
  3. Scoop a half cup or so of the stew into a small dish, mix well with the Dijon mustard and stir back into the pot. Thin with additional stock if needed before serving.

2 1/2 hours

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