Caramelised Cabbage with Pork
A winter dish where white cabbage is slowly caramelized with sugar until deep brown, then simmered further with lightly salted pork belly.
The pork belly simmers until tender while the cabbage is shredded and built up in caramelized lard, before taking on flavor and depth from the clear broth. The cabbage cooks low and slow, and the potatoes can be boiled while the pork belly finishes warming through in the cabbage. The light brown point of the caramel determines whether the cabbage turns deeply sweet or bitter.
Ingredients
The Pork Belly
- 800 g lightly salted pork belly, in one piece
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 whole black peppercorns
The Brown Cabbage
- 1½ kg white cabbage
- 50 g lard
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1-2 tbsp white vinegar
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground
Boiled Potatoes
- 1 kg potatoes
- 1 tsp salt, for the cooking water
How to make it
- Put the pork belly in a pot, cover it with cold water, and add the bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring it slowly to a boil and skim off the gray foam with a spoon until the broth is clear. The broth will later be used to moisten the cabbage, and a cloudy broth will make for a murky dish. ⏱ 10 min
- Turn down to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Cook the pork belly for 60 minutes, until a fork slides into the meat without resistance. ⏱ 1 h · passiveChef's tip Keep it at a bare shiver, just a bubble or two breaking the surface. A rolling boil tightens the muscle fibres and squeezes out fat, leaving the belly stringy rather than yielding to a fork.
- Meanwhile, shred the white cabbage into fine strips about half a centimeter wide. Cut away the tough core, as it never becomes tender along with the rest of the cabbage. ⏱ 10 min
- Melt the lard in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the fat and let it melt without stirring, until it bubbles and turns light brown like dark honey. Keep a close eye on it the whole time, as the caramel turns bitter within seconds if it burns.Chef's tip Sugar in fat browns unevenly, so swirl the pot rather than stir, and pull it off the heat the moment it smells nutty and looks like dark honey. Caramel keeps darkening from residual heat after the pot leaves the burner.
- Toss the shredded cabbage into the caramel a handful at a time, letting each portion wilt down before adding the next. Stir gently for 10 minutes, until the cabbage has reduced by half and is glossy and golden. ⏱ 10 minChef's tip Adding the cabbage in handfuls keeps the pot hot enough for the water to steam off; dumping it all in cools the caramel and the cabbage stews pale. Listen for a steady sizzle — silence means the pot is too crowded.
- Ladle 3 dl of the clear broth from the pork belly pot over the cabbage and cover with a lid. Let the cabbage simmer gently for 60 minutes, until the strips are completely tender and have taken on a deep brown color. ⏱ 1 h · passiveChef's tip The long covered hour is what turns the strips deep brown and sweet, well beyond simple tenderness. Check now and then that there is still a little glossy liquid in the bottom; add a ladle of broth if the pot runs dry.
- Lift the tender pork belly out of the broth and place it on a cutting board. Slice it into pieces about half a centimeter thick, cutting across the streaks of meat and fat.
- Peel the potatoes and halve the largest ones, so all the pieces are the same size and become tender at the same time. ⏱ 10 min
- Put the potatoes in a pot with cold water and salt, and bring them to a boil. Allow about 25 minutes from a cold pot, until a knife slides easily through the thickest potato. ⏱ 25 min · passive
- Season the brown cabbage to taste with vinegar, pepper, and salt. The broth from the salted pork belly has already salted the cabbage, so taste before adding more salt. Add the vinegar a little at a time, until the sweetness has a distinct tangy edge.Chef's tip The vinegar has to cut through the sweetness of the caramel and the fat of the pork belly, or the dish tastes flat. Add it a teaspoon at a time and taste after each one — acidity can't be taken back out, and too much makes the cabbage sharp.
- Place the pork belly slices into the cabbage and cover with the lid again. Let it continue simmering for 20 minutes, until the pork belly is heated through and the fat edge is soft and glossy. ⏱ 20 min · passive
- Ladle the brown cabbage into deep plates and place the pork belly slices on top. Add the boiled potatoes on the side, and set the pot of brown cabbage on the table so second helpings can be taken along the way.
