1 cup dried white beans
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder — cut into 1″ cubes
salt and pepper — to taste 1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups water — (or more)
8 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 cup onion — minced
2 large garlic cloves — minced
4 large plum tomatoes — chopped
1. Place beans in bowl. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch; soak overnight. Drain.
2. Heat 2 Tbs.. oil in heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add pork to pan; brown on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. Pour off drippings. Add wine to pan; cook 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits. Add pork, beans, 6 cups water, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to simmer, skimming foam from surface. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbs.. oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add eggplant and season with salt. Saut? until brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Heat 1 Tbs.. oil in same skillet over low heat. Add onion; saut? 3 minutes. Add garlic; saut? 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add tomatoes; stir until thick, about 5 minutes. Add mixture to pork; add eggplant. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until eggplant is tender, adding more water if too thick, about 20 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper.