French recipe: pork chop with braised butter beans

I wanted to put a recipe for cassoulet in this book, as it is so delicious. However, even as a lover of cassoulet, I’ve only ever made it once and I’m not sure I would again in a hurry! It is a real process, which spans more than 48 hours. So this is my cheat’s cassoulet: warming, comforting and just as delicious, but which only takes 30 minutes to put together. I eat this from autumn right through to spring, as it’s perfect for long dark winter nights.

Though I have kept things autumnal with wild mushrooms and sage, this dish works in warmer months, too. Substitute mushrooms and sage with peas, asparagus and mint in spring or tomatoes, courgettes and basil in summer. 

Treat yourself to a dry aged pork chop from the butcher with a generous layer of fat, at least 2.5cm (1 inch) thick to stop you overcooking the meat: pork chops don’t need to be well done! Cook them to medium; a core temperature of 55°C (131°F) will give the juiciest, most delicious results.

Prep time 

15 minutes

Cooking time 

30 minutes, plus resting

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 pork chops on the bone, each 250–300g (9–10oz) and 2.5cm (1 inch) thick
• 50g (3tbsp) butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 250ml (1 cup) white wine
• 250ml (1 cup) homemade Brown Chicken Stock or good-quality shop-bought stock
• 400g (14oz) can or jar of butter beans
• 200g (7oz) wild mushrooms, sliced
• 10 sage leaves, chopped
• Sea salt flakes and fresh-cracked black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F).

2. Start by colouring the pork chops. Place a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium-low heat. Season the chops generously with salt, then put them in the pan with the fat sides facing down, standing both side by side to give extra stability and holding them in place with tongs if needed. 

Here, you need to slowly cook, to make the fat melt away and the chop crisp up. Once the fat side is golden brown and the fat has rendered, increase the heat and quickly colour the chops on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Reduce the heat and add the butter to the pan, then the onion and garlic, gently sweating both over a medium heat. Once completely soft (about 5 minutes), add the wine and begin to reduce; after a few minutes, pour in the stock and reduce by half.

4. Strain the butter beans, reserving their liquid and adding the beans to the onions with the mushrooms and sage. Check the seasoning, place the pork chops on top and set the whole pan in the oven until your chops hit a core temperature of 55°C (131°F) when measured on a probe thermometer; this should take around 8 minutes. If the beans need a little liquid when they come out of the oven, add some of the bean stock you reserved from the can or jar.

5. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Remove the chops, slice, then replace on top of the beans. Serve in the pan, as a centrepiece.

From French Classics: Easy and elevated dishes to cook at home by Matthew Ryle, on sale from Bloomsbury Publishing. Copyright © 2025 by Matthew Ryle. All rights reserved.

Read more: Try Matthew Ryle's duck parmentier recipe