Homeland Quick-Boiled Bacon and Cabbage
The Emigrant's Table: Diaspora Feasts and Gatherings
This isn't the heavy Sunday boil where the broth fogs the windows over steaming bacon and cabbage, but for the diaspora cook without three hours to boil a cured pork joint on a Tuesday, this adaptation gets dinner on the table in forty minutes. By pan-braising thick-cut supermarket slab bacon, the essential salty, fat-slicked pan juices are instantly summoned to quick-boil the green Savoy cabbage, letting a pour of sharp, grassy parsley sauce cut directly through the rendered pork fat. Slice the meat thick, drag the cabbage through Colman's mustard, and eat.
Ingredients
- thick-cut unsmoked ham steak1 1/2 lb
- Savoy cabbage1 small
- low-sodium chicken broth2 cup
- whole black peppercorns1 tsp
- bay leaf1 small
- Irish butter5 tbsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- all-purpose flour2 tbsp
- whole milk1 cup
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1 cup
Method
- 01
Sear the pork.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, dropping in the ham steaks to sear for about two minutes per side just until they pick up some color.
- 02
Extract the liquid gold.
Pour in the chicken broth, add the peppercorns and bay leaf, and bring to a rapid simmer. Slap the lid on, drop the heat to medium-low, and let it bubble for 10 minutes to rapidly draw the savory pork flavors into the liquid.
- 03
Quick-boil the cabbage.
Pull the ham steaks out and tent them under foil to keep warm. Immediately plunge the shredded cabbage directly into the bubbling, pork-infused broth. Cover and boil vigorously for exactly 5 to 7 minutes—do not overcook it, or it will turn grey and release a terrible sulfur smell.
- 04
Drain and dress the cabbage.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bright green, tender cabbage to a warm bowl, leaving the precious pork broth in the pot. Toss the cabbage instantly with 2 tablespoons of butter and a heavy grind of black pepper.
- 05
Build the parsley sauce.
In a separate small saucepan, melt the final 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for one minute to form a pale roux. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, followed by 1/4 cup of the reserved hot pork broth from the Dutch oven, simmering until it thickens like heavy cream. Pull it off the heat and fold in the minced parsley.
- 06
Plate the feast.
Slice the rested ham steaks, lay them over a generous mound of the buttered cabbage, and ladle the vibrant green parsley sauce unapologetically over the top.
Notes
Sourcing the meat.
Thick-cut ham steaks are the closest American weeknight shortcut to authentic Irish bacon chops. Avoid standard thin-sliced Canadian bacon, which lacks the necessary fat and structural integrity to create a proper broth.
Do not compromise on the butter.
In rural Ireland, dairy is king. Using a high-butterfat imported Irish butter isn't a luxury here—it's an essential structural ingredient that replicates the true, rich mouthfeel of homeland cooking.
From Cook Irish-American Food.