Boiled Bacon and Cabbage

Name: Boiled Bacon and Cabbage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 1000 g unsmoked bacon collar or gammon joint; 600 g savoy cabbage; 800 g maris piper potatoes; 300 g Carrots; 150 g Yellow onion; 2 item Bay leaves; 1 tsp Black peppercorns; 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 tbsp english mustard

Tender boiled bacon joint served alongside sweet Savoy cabbage, carrots, and floury potatoes, with rich liquor saved for tomorrow's soup.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· South Wales Valleys

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 105 min
Total: 120 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 520 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

1000 g unsmoked bacon collar or gammon joint — tied with string
600 g savoy cabbage — cored and cut into 8 wedges
800 g maris piper potatoes — peeled and cut into halves
300 g Carrots — peeled and cut into thick chunks
150 g Yellow onion — peeled and cut in half
2 item Bay leaves — dried
1 tsp Black peppercorns — whole
15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley — stalks reserved, leaves roughly chopped
2 tbsp english mustard — to serve alongside

Equipment

•large stockpot with lid
•colander
•carving board
•sharp carving knife
•slotted spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 520 kcal
fat: 22 g
carbs: 36 g
fibre: 7 g
protein: 42 g
calories: 520 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the bacon joint in a large stockpot and cover with cold fresh water.
2
Bring to the boil over high heat, then drain away this initial salty water.
3
Refill the stockpot with fresh cold water to cover the joint completely.
4
Add the halved onion, carrots, bay leaves, parsley stalks, and black peppercorns to the pot.
5
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.
6
Add the peeled, halved potatoes directly into the simmering broth around the joint.
7
Simmer gently with the lid askew for 15 minutes until the potatoes start to soften.
8
Lay the cabbage wedges into the pot and simmer for another 12 minutes until tender.
9
Lift the bacon joint onto a carving board and slice into thick pieces.
10
Serve the carved meat with hot vegetables and a ladle of the cooking liquor.
11
Strain the remaining pot liquor into a container to use for soup the next day.

Chef's tips

Blanching the bacon joint in the first step removes excess surface brine so the cooking liquor is not overly salty. Keep the heat on a gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil to keep the meat tender and prevent the potatoes from breaking apart.

Ingredient substitutions

Savoy cabbage → pointed sweetheart cabbage or spring greens
unsmoked bacon collar → smoked gammon joint or ham hock

Storage

Store leftover meat, vegetables, and the strained broth in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat sliced bacon and vegetables gently in a covered pan with a ladle of the strained broth over medium heat until piping hot.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Skipping the initial water change, which can make the finished broth unpalatably salty.
•Boiling the meat too vigorously, resulting in tough, stringy pork slices.
•Adding the cabbage too early so that it becomes grey and overcooked.

Serving suggestions

Serve with a generous spoonful of hot English mustard or salted Welsh butter.Ladle a little hot cooking liquor over each bowl and serve with crusty bread.