Cassoeûla Milanese

Ingredients

• 300 g pork rinds, scraped clean, cut into strips
• 2 pork ears, halved
• 2 pork trotters, split lengthways by the butcher
• 500 g pork ribs, separated into individual ribs
• 400 g luganega sausage, left in its coil, secured with a skewer
• 1.2 kg Savoy cabbage (verza), outer leaves removed, cut into large wedges
• For the soffritto
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 150 ml dry white wine
• To serve
• 300 g coarse polenta, cooked to a soft, pourable consistency

Method

1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.