Roasted Pork, Bacon, & Sausage with Cabbage and Potatoes from La Cucina Italiana
It’s a cold winter here in New York City, and nothing’s better than a big, hearty meal to warm up with in the evening. So I got a little excited when La Cucina Italiana magazine arrived in the mail recently, with a bunch of fantastic winter recipes: roasts, braises, soups and other mostly one-pot dishes. The one that most caught my eye was an Italian version of pork and cabbage. A half pork shoulder, some slab bacon, and a few Italian sausages are roasted with potatoes on a bed of cabbage, which they flavor with their dripping juices. This dish will warm you up, fill you up, and leave you satisfied, even on the coldest night of the rough New York winter.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: La Cucina Italiana Magazine
2 pounds green cabbage, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick
fine sea salt
12 small new potatoes (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds solid piece boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
1 pound slab bacon in 1 whole piece, cut crosswise into 2 pieces
10 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 cups dry white wine
3 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 pound)
Heat oven to 350 F with rack in middle.
Combine cabbage, 1/2 cup water and generous pinch salt in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid. Heat over medium heat until water simmers; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is wilted, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put potatoes in a pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes; put in a bowl and toss with oil and generous pinch salt.
Drain cabbage. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, layer cabbage to make a bed for meats. Put pork shoulder and slab bacon on top of cabbage; scatter with bay leaves and peppercorns. Add 1/2 cup water. Roast for 30 minutes, then add wine. Roast for 1 hour more.
Add potatoes, sausages and 1 cup water to roasting pan; continue roasting until meats are tender and sausages cooked through, about 45 minutes more.
Remove pan from oven. Remove and discard bay leaves. Slice meats and serve with cabbage, potatoes and pan juice.t
