Recipe

Classic Italian Cassoeula- Bottagio alla Milanese

Classic Italian Cassoeula- Bottagio alla Milanese
  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Nose to Tail Recipe
  • Chef

    SippitySup's Notes:

    They eat the pig, all the pig in Milan. This is my (simplified) version of a classic. Don't knock it til you try it!

Serves 8

1 whole pig's trotter (foot) Ask the
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1 pig's ear (available in an Asian market if nowhere else) Ask the
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4 ounces raw pork rind Ask the
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1/4 cup olive oil Ask the
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1/4 cup unsalted butter Ask the
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2 onions, roughly chopped Ask the
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1 medium shallot minced Ask the
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2 cloves garlic, minced Ask the
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vegetable stock Ask the
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3 pounds spare ribs Ask the
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10 ounces Luganega sausage,cut into 2-inch lengths Ask the
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4 small mild salami, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds Ask the
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1/2 cup dry white wine, plus more for deglazing Ask the
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3 carrota cut into 1-inch x 1/4-inch batons Ask the
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1 stalk celery, thinly sliced crosswise Ask the
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1 tablespoon tomato paste Ask the
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2 tablespoons water Ask the
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1 savoy cabbage sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons Ask the
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1 teaspoon lemon zest Ask the
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12 sage leaves, chopped Ask the
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1 sprig rosemary Ask the
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2 teaspoons anise seeds Ask the
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1 teaspoon juniper berries Ask the
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1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns Ask the
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16 baked polenta slices Ask the
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  1. Working over the burner of a gas range flame the trotter, ear, and rinds to remove any hairs that remain. Let them cool and wipe them clean with a cloth. Split the trotter, lengthwise, using a cleaver if necessary, and cut the ear and rinds into strips. Boil them in lightly salted water for an hour, by which point the fat will be rendered out of them. Drain. Set aside to cool.

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  2. Heat the oil and the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion, shallots and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Chop the trotter into small pieces. Add it, the sliced pig's ear and rinds to the onion mixture. Season well with salt and pepper. Add enough vegetable stock to cover the mixture and cook, over medium-low heat, until the liquid has reduced by half.

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  3. In a separate large Dutch oven brown the ribs and set them aside. Then brown the the Luganega sausage, and the salami lightly. Return the ribs to the pan and then sprinkle the meat with white wine and cook over a moderate flame until the liquid is evaporated. Remove the meat from the pan, then deglaze the pan with a bit more wine. Add the carrots and celery, together with the tomato paste and about 2 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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  4. Add the reserved onion, trotter, ear, and rind mixture along with the sliced cabbage. Then lay the ribs and sausage over the top of it. Sprinkle in the lemon zest, chopped sage leaves, rosemary sprig, fennel seeds, dried juniper berries and whole black pepper corns. Add enough additional stock to bring the liquid to about halfway up the side of the pot. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, skimming and stirring the pot as needed. NOTE: During this period, the trotters and rinds will have begun to break down. Additional stock may be needed to keep a loose, glutinous consistency.

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  5. To serve: Lay a couple slices of baked polenta on the bottom of a low soup plate. Ladle the cassoeula over the slices making sure to get a few sausages and ribs onto each bowl.

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Steve_dunn02 Reply

Mmmmm...there's so much pork in this dish that it's just GOTTA be good.

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