Cassoeula
Cassoeula is a rich Milanese winter braise of mixed pork cuts, sausages, and tender savoy cabbage cooked until meltingly soft.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 150 min
- Total
- 180 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 780 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- •Large saucepan
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Tongs
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- fat
- 56 g
- carbs
- 16 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 780 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Boil the pork rind and split trotter in a pot of water for twenty minutes to render excess fat, then drain well.
- 2
Melt the lard in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot.
- 4
Cook gently for ten minutes until the vegetables are soft and sweet.
- 5
Add the pork ribs, blanched rind, and trotter to the pot.
- 6
Brown the meats for ten minutes until lightly coloured all over.
- 7
Pour in the white wine and scrape up any caramelised bits from the base until the alcohol evaporates.
- 8
Stir in the diluted tomato paste, salt, and pepper, then cover and simmer over low heat for one hour.
- 9
Prick the verzini sausages with a fork and add them to the pot.
- 10
Pile the savoy cabbage into the pot in batches, letting each batch wilt down before adding more.
- 11
Cover and simmer gently for forty-five minutes until the cabbage is silky and the meats are very tender.
- 12
Rest the stew for fifteen minutes before serving hot.
Chef's tips
For the most authentic flavour, seek out cabbage harvested after the first autumn frost when its leaves are sweetest and most tender. If you prefer a less rich braise, skim any excess rendered fat from the surface of the sauce before serving.
Ingredient substitutions
- verzini → coarse, fresh Italian pork sausages (luganega)
- lard or pork fat → extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
Storage
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days; the flavours improve noticeably on the second day.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of water or broth until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding the savoy cabbage too early, which causes it to disintegrate completely into mush.
- •Skipping the initial blanching of the rind and trotter, resulting in an excessively greasy dish.
- •Cooking over too high heat rather than maintaining a gentle, unhurried simmer.
Serving suggestions
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