Judd mat Gaardebounen

Judd mat Gaardebounen (Smoked Pork with Broad Beans)

Luxembourg's national dish: smoked pork neck slowly simmered until tender, served with broad beans in a creamy herb sauce alongside boiled potatoes. Hearty, rustic, and deeply savoury.

Prep

20 min

Cook

180 min

Total

200 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) smoked pork neck (judd), on the bone if possible; substitute smoked pork shoulder if neck is unavailable
• •2 l (8 cups) water, for simmering the pork
• •1 whole onion, halved, skin on
• •2 whole bay leaves
• •6 whole black peppercorns
• •1 tsp salt, adjust to taste, smoked pork is already salty
• •1 kg (2¼ lb) fresh broad beans in pods, yields ~300 g shelled; frozen shelled beans are a fine substitute
• •30 g (2 tbsp) butter
• •30 g (2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• •250 ml (1 cup) double cream (heavy cream), Luxembourg uses crème fraîche; crème fraîche is the most authentic swap
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) pork cooking broth (reserved), skimmed, from the simmered pork
• •2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
• •1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• •800 g (1¾ lb) waxy potatoes, e.g. Charlotte or Yukon Gold, peeled and halved
• •1 tsp Dijon mustard, optional, for finishing the sauce

Steps

1. 1 Place the smoked pork neck in a large heavy pot. Add the 2 litres of cold water, the halved onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skimming any foam that rises.
2. 2 Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer very gently for 2 to 2½ hours, until a knife slides easily into the meat and the internal temperature reaches at least 85 °C / 185 °F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not boil — a bare tremor on the surface is ideal.
3. 3 While the pork simmers, shell the broad beans. If the beans are large, blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and slip off the tough outer skins (a traditional step for older or large beans; skip for very young tender ones).
4. 4 About 25 minutes before the pork is done, place the potatoes in a separate pot, cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil and cook 15–20 minutes until tender when pierced. Drain, cover and keep warm.
5. 5 Carefully lift the pork out of its cooking liquid, place on a board, and keep warm. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and reserve 150 ml, skimming off excess surface fat.
6. 6 In a wide saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes to form a pale rouxy paste. Do not brown.
7. 7 Slowly whisk in the 150 ml of reserved hot broth, then the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3–4 minutes, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
8. 8 Stir in the broad beans, parsley and thyme. Simmer gently for 6–8 minutes until the beans are completely tender (a few minutes longer for mature beans; taste to check). Stir in the Dijon mustard if using, and season cautiously with pepper — the smoked pork provides plenty of salt.
9. 9 Slice the pork neck into thick pieces, or pull it apart with two forks, discarding the bone and any large fat caps.
10. 10 Serve the broad beans in cream sauce on warmed plates with the potatoes alongside and the sliced pork on top. Scatter with extra parsley.