P
Italian · Milan, Lombardia
Cassoeûla Milanese
Milan's defining winter one-pot: pork extremities (rinds, ears, trotters, ribs, luganega sausage) slow-braised for 3-4 hours with Savoy cabbage (verza) in a base of onion, celery, carrot, and white wine. The collagen from the pork extremities gradually dissolves into the braise, creating a gelatinous, self-saucing consistency that glosses every piece of cabbage. Served with soft polenta that absorbs the braising liquid. Note: Cassouela was already entered — this is the authentic spelling variant and elaborated treatment.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
300 g
pork rinds
scraped clean, cut into strips
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2
pork ears
halved
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2
pork trotters
split lengthways by the butcher
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
500 g
pork ribs
separated into individual ribs
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
400 g
luganega sausage
left in its coil, secured with a skewer
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1.2 kg
Savoy cabbage (verza)
outer leaves removed, cut into large wedges
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the soffritto
1 large
onion
finely chopped
Your own market
2 stalks
celery
finely chopped
Your own market
1 medium
carrot
finely chopped
Your own market
150 ml
dry white wine
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
To serve
300 g
coarse polenta
cooked to a soft, pourable consistency
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Parboil the Savoy cabbage wedges in a large pot of unsalted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze firmly in batches to expel as much liquid as possible. Set aside. The cabbage should feel compact, not wet.
2
In a wide, heavy pot, render the pork rinds over a medium flame until they begin to release their fat and colour lightly at the edges. Add the ears, trotters, and ribs. Turn all pieces until sealed on every surface — the pot should carry a steady sizzle and the meat should show an even, pale gold.
3
Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot to the pot. Cook over a medium-low flame, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened completely and turned translucent, with no raw smell remaining.
4
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble until the sharp, acidic edge of the alcohol has gone and the liquid has reduced by half. The smell should read of cooked wine, not raw.
5
Nestle the squeezed cabbage wedges and the luganega coil into the pot. Press everything down. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to the lowest possible simmer — the surface of the liquid should barely tremble. This is where the dish lives or dies: too fierce a flame prevents the collagen in the rinds, ears, and trotters from converting slowly into gelatin; the braise must proceed at a bare simmer, undisturbed, for a minimum of 3 hours and up to 4. Do not add stock or water — the collagen will build the sauce from within. Every 45 minutes, lift the lid and turn the pieces gently; the liquid should appear syrupy and coat a spoon.
6
After 3 hours, test a piece of ear or rind: it should be entirely tender and yield without resistance under a spoon — not merely soft but collapsing. The braising liquid should be dense, glossy, and cling visibly to every surface it touches.
7
Remove from the heat and rest, covered, for at least 30 minutes — or, ideally, overnight. When reheating from cold, skim any solidified fat from the surface if preferred, then warm gently over a low flame, breaking up the set gelatin with a ladle. Serve over soft polenta, spooning the braising liquid over each portion. The liquid should pool, not run.
From the canon — Polenta is the principal cooked grain preparation of northern Italy — from the Veneto through Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Polenta — The Correct Technique and Regional Variations →
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Pork from a heritage breed (Mora Romagnola, Cinta Senese) slaughtered post-November frost; luganega made in-house with lard and coarse salt; verza from the first hard frost of the Lombard plain, which renders the leaves sweet and slightly blistered.
02
Estate — Pork extremities sourced direct from a single farm; artisan luganega from a Milanese norcineria; Savoy cabbage from a known market grower, harvested after the first cold snap.
03
Market — Good-quality pork extremities from a butcher who can confirm they are fresh, not previously frozen; commercial luganega of reliable provenance; Savoy cabbage selected for tight, deeply ridged leaves.
04
House — Supermarket pork ribs and trotters; any luganega or mild pork sausage; Savoy cabbage available; dish remains honest if the simmer is respected and no liquid is added.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. Squeezed parboiled cabbage feels compact and barely damp — not sodden — when pressed firmly in the fist.
◇Sight. The braising liquid at the 2-hour mark coats the back of a ladle in a thin, syrupy film rather than running off like water.
◇Touch. Pork ear and rind yield entirely under the pressure of a spoon after 3 hours — no springback, no resistance at the centre.
◇Sight. The finished braising liquid, when a spoonful is tilted, flows slowly and leaves a gloss on the bowl of the ladle — fully gelatinised.
◇Where it lives or dies. The dish lives or dies at the simmer: collagen converts to gelatin only at a sustained, barely trembling heat over the full 3–4 hours — no liquid may be added, and no increase in flame permitted.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
A structured, tannic red from Lombardia — Barbera or Bonarda from the Oltrepò Pavese, whose acidity and modest body cut the gelatin richness without overwhelming the pork. The wine should have enough fruit to meet the Savoy's slight bitterness.
The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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