Cassoeula: Milan's Great Winter Pork and Cabbage Braise

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pork rind and blanch for 10 minutes. Drain, let cool slightly, then scrape the inner fat side with a knife to remove excess. Cut into strips about 2 cm wide. Set aside.

Finely dice the white onion, celery stalks, and carrot for the soffritto. Set aside.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the lard over high heat. Working in batches — no more than one layer at a time — brown the pork ribs on both sides for 3–4 minutes per side until they develop a deep mahogany crust. Overcrowding steams the meat instead of searing it. Transfer browned ribs to a plate.

Add the luganega sausage to the same pot and brown on all sides over high heat, 3–4 minutes total. Transfer to the plate with the ribs.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and sweat, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes until soft and just beginning to colour. Do not rush this — the soffritto is the flavour base of the whole braise.

Return the pork ribs and pork rind strips to the pot. Pour in the white wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the base with a wooden spoon. Add the bay leaves, black pepper, and enough water or stock to come halfway up the meat (about 300 ml).

Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and braise for 60 minutes.

Nestle the luganega sausage back into the pot. Cover and continue to braise for a further 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove and discard the outer leaves of the savoy cabbage. Cut it into 6–8 wedges, trimming out the tough central core from each wedge.

Add the cabbage wedges to the pot, pressing them down into the braising liquid. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until the cabbage is tender but still holds its shape. It should not dissolve.

Uncover the pot and assess the sauce. If it looks watery, raise heat to medium and reduce uncovered for 5–10 minutes. If excess fat is pooling on the surface, rest the pot off heat for 5 minutes then skim with a ladle. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with salt.

Serve directly from the pot over soft poured polenta or grilled polenta slabs. The sauce should be gelatinous and cling to the meat and cabbage.