🇮🇹 Italian · Main Dish
🍲 Cassoeula Milanese
Cassoeula
A hearty Milanese winter stew of pork cuts and sausage slow-braised with savoy cabbage, traditionally reserved for the coldest days and often considered better the following day.
Cassoeula makes use of the less prized cuts of pork -- rind, ribs, and trotters -- braised for hours with plenty of cabbage until everything becomes rich and gelatinous, a genuinely hearty dish built to fuel Milan's cold winter months.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large heavy pot with lid
- 800 g (1.75 lb) mixed pork cuts (ribs, rind, trotters), cut into pieces
- 4 pork sausages (luganega if available)
- 1 large savoy cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 200 ml (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Blanch the pork rind and trotters in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot and brown the pork cuts and sausages well on all sides.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing until softened.
- Pour in the wine and let it reduce, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the bay leaves and enough water to almost cover the meat.
- Cover and simmer gently for 1.5 hours.
- Add the cabbage wedges on top, cover again, and continue simmering for another 1-1.5 hours, until everything is very tender and the cabbage has melded into the sauce.
- Season to taste and serve hot, ideally the day after making for the best developed flavor.
Chef Tips
- This dish genuinely improves with a day's rest, allowing the rich flavors to fully develop.
- The lengthy braise is what transforms the tougher pork cuts into something meltingly tender.
- Traditional versions use a good quantity of savoy cabbage, which should become soft and almost silky by the end of cooking.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing the cooking time, which leaves the tougher cuts of pork insufficiently tender.
- Skipping the initial blanch of the rind and trotters, which can leave an unwanted odor.
- Serving immediately rather than letting it rest, missing the flavor development a day's wait provides.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein, with cabbage contributing fiber and vitamin C.
Cultural Note
Cassoeula is a defining winter dish of Milan and Lombardy, traditionally eaten during the coldest months and closely associated with the pig-slaughtering season.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days; flavor genuinely improves the next day.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop, covered.
Serve with: Creamy polenta, A robust Lombardy red wine