PIG'S LEG STEW WITH CABBAGE AND GREEN BEANS

This recipe came from an aunt (40 years ago), who used to share with us some of her delicious culinary secrets. I remember, she used to have menus for her household prepared weeks ahead. She was very organized and her house was squeaky clean. She had two wonderful children and in spite of her busy schedule, as a stay-home mom, she managed to cook delicious and well prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

This is a perfect dish to cook on a cold rainy weather.

Ingredients
1 whole Pork leg, cleaned, and cut to 2 serving pieces
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 tablespoons cooking oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 big can tomato sauce
4 cooking banana (Saba or Plantain), cut to two pieces diagonally
2 bay leaves
2 cups cooked Cannelini beans 
1/2 cabbage, cut to 1/4ths vertically
16 greens beans, cut to two pieces

Procedure
Boil the whole pork leg with salt and black peppercorns and just enough water to cover the pork leg in a pot for about 1 hour or until tender.  

In a big pan or casserole, brown the garlic in oil. Add the onions until transparent, then scoop the meat and bones from the simmering pork leg and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, then add the tomato sauce. Pour in the remaining liquid where pork leg was boiled.  Add the bananas, throw in the bay leaves, and cook  until bananas are tender or for 8 minutes. Add the white beans, cabbage, and green beans. 

Adjust seasoning according to your taste. Turn heat off, put lid on,  and let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes until veggies  are crisply cooked and not mushy. 

*Serve hot with steamed Jazmine rice or sour dough bread.