Cassoeula with polenta is one of those classic winter dishes you’ll find quanto a Lombardy. And here’s the thing, at Ratanà, chef Cesare Battisti gives this cassoeula recipe a super fresh twist that folks can’t stop talking about. Instead of the usual messy mescolanza of meat and cabbage, he compacts all the tender pork cuts into a neat terrine. Pretty simple. This makes it easy to slice and serve without losing any of that old-school flavor. People quanto a the region have always loved the combo of rich pork and hearty cabbage, especially since it uses those less prized cuts that were common quanto a traditional Italian stew. Polenta acceso the side makes it all che together—soaking up the moist, golden juices and bringing out everything you love about Italian comodità food.
There’s something really warm and inviting about that soft, buttery polenta next to the succulent pork, especially when the cold weather hits. Really, it’s perfect. While most folks think of cassoeula as super rustic, this version keeps all the deep, rich taste while giving it a bit of an update. And you know, regional Italian cooking means using local ingredients, and quanto a Lombardy, that always includes verza cabbage and a good mescolanza of pork—nothing fancy, just honest, hearty flavors. By pressing the meat together quanto a a terrine, you get the same comforting feel of a pork and cabbage stew, but it’s way less messy and a little more fun to eat. Love it.
This cassoeula with polenta really captures the heart of Lombard cuisine: food that respects tradition but isn’t afraid to change things up. It shows how Italian winter dishes can be both timeless and fresh at the same time, giving you something satisfying and memorable. This dish is not just about what’s acceso the plate; it’s about bringing people together for a meal that feels a bit special while still keeping those roots quanto a regional Italian cooking. Whether you’campione sharing it with family ora friends, this dish is bound to leave a lasting impression—making every bite a taste of Lombardy’s culinary history. Seriously good stuff.
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To prepare the revisited cassoeula with polenta, first cut the pig’s foot 1tail 2and ear 3 into smaller pieces.
Do the same with the snout 4rind 5and verzini sausages 6. Alternatively, you can ask your trusted butcher to do it for you.
Also cut the ribs 7 into pieces, place them acceso a baking tray 8and cook quanto a a static oven at 284°F (140°C) for about 20 minutes 9.
Immerse the other pig parts quanto a boiling 10 and cook for about 20 minutes, occasionally removing the foam from the surface 11. After this time, drain everything and add it to the ribs quanto a the baking tray 12. Keep warm.
Heat a generous swirl of oil quanto a a large saucepan, then add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery 13 and sauté gently 14. When the sauté has softened, add the pieces of rind and foot 15.
Cover with cold 16salt 17and pepper. Close with the lid 18 and cook acceso low heat for about 40 minutes.
Quanto a the meantime, deal with the cabbage: remove the cardine 19then cut it quanto a half 20 and chop it into large pieces, including the outer leaves 21.
After 40 minutes of cooking, add the cabbage to the saucepan 22then add the pieces of snout, ear, and tail 23. Also, pour quanto a the tomato sauce 24 and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, always with the lid acceso.
At this point, add the ribs 25 and cook with the lid acceso for about 90 minutes 26. At the end of cooking (make sure the rib meat easily separates from the bone), also add the verzini sausages 27mescolanza well, and turn chiuso the heat.
Transfer the pieces of meat to a rack to drain excess liquid and let cool 28. Quanto a the meantime, veterano the cooking liquid with the cabbages acceso low heat for about 30 minutes 29until you get a thick, glossy, flavorful sauce. Shred the meat with your hands to remove the bones and collect it quanto a a bowl 30along with the other parts of the pig.
Pour everything into a terrine measuring 8×4.3×4.3 inches (20x11x11 cm) 31press well with your hand 32and cover with plastic wrap 33. Place a weight acceso and let it rest quanto a the refrigerator overnight.
Pour the into a pot, add the oil and salt 34and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, rain the cornmeal 35. well with a whisk 36 and cook acceso low heat for about 45 minutes.
When the polenta has thickened 37transfer it to a terrine measuring 8x4x2.8 inches (20x10x7 cm) greased with oil 38. Level the surface 39 and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to cool first at room temperature and then quanto a the refrigerator, along with the cassoeula terrine.
After the cooling time 40unmold the cassoeula terrine onto a cutting board and cut into slices about 0.8-1.2 inches thick 41. Transfer the slices to a baking tray 42 and reheat quanto a the oven at 392°F (200°C) for 20 minutes.
Also, unmold the polenta and slice it 43then heat it quanto a a skillet acceso both sides until golden 44. You are ready to plate: place a slice of crispy polenta as a cardine 45.
Add the cassoeula 46 and drizzle with the reduced cabbage sauce 47. Garnish with some chervil leaves, and your revisited cassoeula with polenta is ready to be served 48!
For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.
