This slow cooker 4-ingredient depression era pork shanks and navy beans is the kind of resourceful, rib-sticking meal my great aunt swore by every spring when money was tight but appetites were big. It leans on one tough, inexpensive cut—pork shanks—and a bag of humble navy beans, then lets time and gentle heat transform them into something deeply tender and comforting.
The method is very much in the spirit of Depression-era cooking: a short ingredient list, long simmer, and a glossy, collagen-rich broth that feels far more luxurious than its
