Cassoeula is a
traditional Italian recipe prepared in the winter period in
Lombardia. It is traditionally prepared in the first day of November and in particular at my home this recipe is cooked in occasion of the Saint’s day. It is a laborious and high-calorie dish whose recipe changes from town to town. The main Italian ingredients used to prepare it are:
Savoy cabbage that might be traditionally used after the first frost, the poor parts of
pork such as stare ribs, sausages, rind, feet, ears and head and onion, carrots and celery browned in oil. As I said each town of
Lombardia has its own recipe: in Como’s province the feet aren’t used but it is used the head of pork, in Pavia’s province only the stare ribs are used, instead in Novara’s province is used also the meat of goose. In the traditional recipe all ingredients are browned in butter but to make the recipe lighter the butter can be changed with the extra virgin olive oil as I describe in the recipe below in which I use carrots, celery, onion, stare ribs, sausages and rind of pork, with the addition of a tablespoon of tomato sauce.
Traditionally Cassoeula is link with the feast of Saint Anthony abbot that is the 17th of January, the last day of the butchering of pork after which the poorer part of the pork are used to savour the
Savoy cabbage that is the typical Italian winter ingredient.
Cassoeula should be served hot and it is more delicious if accompanied with hot
polenta.
INGREDIENTS (for 8 people):
3 Carrots chopped
2 Celery chopped
1 / 2 Onion chopped
4 Tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil
8 Stare ribs
8 Sausages
8 Pieces of Pork rind
1 Kg of Savoy cabbage
1 or 2 Tablespoons of Tomato sauce
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 2 hours
WINE: Barbera del Monferrato (Red Wine)
PREPARATION
Place the extra virgin olive oil, the carrots, the celery and the onion in a large pan and let them brown for about 5 minutes.
Add the stare ribs and let them brown,
then add the pork rind
and after 5 minutes the sausages,
cook for about 10 minutes and then add the Savoy cabbage.
When the Savoy cabbage wilt add the tomato sauce,
mix all together, sprinkle with some salt and continue to cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The savoy cabbege usually piddle but if neccesary add 1 glass of water.
Serve
Casseoeula hot and accompanied it with soma hot
Polenta.
This is the result:
BUON APPETITO!
