STRETCH: Pork, meet Cabbage

Try some of my favourite recipes combining economical pork and cabbage — a classic match that's featured in delicious dishes from around the globe.

I love to make Lion's Head — a comforting Chinese meal of spicy braised cabbage and pork meatballs to serve over rice.

By CINDA CHAVICH

There’s something about pork and cabbage – a match made in culinary heaven.

Chefs around the globe have long married these two simple ingredients in classic dishes, whether stuffed cabbage rolls, Alsatian choucroute garnie or Chinese Lion’s Head meatballs, braised with cabbage in a spicy broth.

At this time of year, we may be down to a few local vegetables in the market, but lovely heads of cabbage are still available. And fresh Canadian pork — whether ground or smoked — is an affordable choice in the meat department, too.

So, channeling my thrifty Eastern European and Celtic family roots, I’m sharing some of my favourite comforting and homey recipes that pair these basic supermarket staples in dishes that truly exceed their humble parts. Some of these recipes come from my popular pressure cooker cookbook (225 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes) but you can easily cook them conventionally, too, on the stovetop or in the oven in a covered saucepan or Dutch oven (just increase the braising times).

Then enjoy these frugal, homestyle dishes, all perfect to warm up a chilly winter’s day!

Cabbages of all kinds - including crinkly Savoy - are grown here in Canada and available throughout the winter

RECIPES

BRAISED LION’S HEAD MEATBALLS

Lion’s Head is a famous Shanghai dish of big pork meatballs, braised with shredded Chinese cabbage or bok choy in a spicy broth.

Traditionally, large 4-oz (125 g) meatballs are the center of this one-pot meal, but I prefer to make eight “mini” Lion’s Head meatballs. I love to make this dish in the pressure cooker (braised to perfection in just 10 minutes) but you can also simmer it on the stovetop in a covered pan until tender.

1 cup drained canned water chestnuts

2 green onions, chopped

1 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece gingerroot

1 lb (500 g) ground pork

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp soy sauce, divided

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tsp salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp canola oil

1 lb Chinese (napa) cabbage or 500 gbok choy, coarsely shredded

11⁄2 cups chicken stock

1 tsp Asian chili paste or chili crisp

In a food processor, combine water chestnuts, green onions and ginger; pulse until minced. Transfer to a bowl and add ground pork, egg, cornstarch, half the soy sauce, rice wine, salt, sugar and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly, using your hands, and form into 8 meatballs. Set aside.

In the pressure cooker, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom. Remove and set aside.

Add cabbage to the cooker and sauté for 1 minute, stirring up any browned bits. Arrange meatballs browned side up in a single layer over cabbage. Combine chicken stock, the remaining soy sauce and chili paste; pour over meatballs.

Lock the lid in place and bring the cooker up to full pressure over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, just to maintain even pressure, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and release pressure quickly.

Serve meatballs with rice in shallow soup bowls, surrounded by cabbage, with some of the broth ladled on top.

NOTE:

To braise this dish in a covered Dutch oven, just follow the steps, as written, then bring the mixture to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and slowly braise on the stovetop (or in a 350 F oven) until the meatballs are cooked through and the cabbage is tender, about 1 hour.

If desired, you can thicken the broth before ladling it over the meatballs and cabbage to serve this comforting dish. Dissolve 1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch in 1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water and whisk into the broth. Simmer over medium heat until thickened.

SAUSAGE AND SOUR CABBAGE SOUP

This is a comforting, chunky soup that combines smoked pork products and sauerkraut, foods that were traditionally preserved in the fall to keep families fed throughout the winter months. You can also substitute smoked fish for the sausage in this soup – try hot smoked haddock (finnan haddie) or hot smoked salmon. Serve it with bread and butter for a full meal.

From High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine, by Cinda Chavich (Fifth House).

1 pound sauerkraut (either homemade or the milder European style sauerkraut from a jar – not canned)

6 cups water or broth

2 teaspoons caraway seed

2 teaspoons salt

2-3 bay leaves

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

1/4 pound double-smoked bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ pound smoked Polish garlic ham sausage

½ cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the sauerkraut, water caraway seed, salt and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Fish out the bay leaves and discard.

Boil the potatoes separately for 20 minutes, or until tender, drain.

Saute bacon until beginning to render its fat, then add the chopped onion to the pan and cook together until the onions are golden. Stir in the paprika and flour and cook together, stirring, to form a roux. Slowly whisk this mixture into the soup, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Cube the sausage and add to the soup along with the cooked and drained potatoes.

Stir in the cream and heat through. The soup should have a thick, chowder-like texture. Add a little more water or broth to thin to taste.

Serve the soup in shallow, wide-rimmed soup bowls – dust each serving with paprika and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serves 4-6.

BRAISED PORK CHOPS AND CABBAGE

Here’s a great way to cook tender pork chops with cabbage. You can also season with caraway seeds (optional) and serve with spaetzle (egg noodles) or mash. A simple combination with delicious results!

4 thick bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (2 pounds)

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 large head green cabbage, sliced or roughly chopped (about 4-6 cups)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ cup cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.

In a heavy covered dutch oven, heat half of the oil over medium high heat and sear the chops on both sides until nicely browned. Set aside.

Add the onion to the fat in the pan, along with the remaining olive oil, and saute until softened and lightly coloured, stirring up any browned bits. Add the garlic and cabbage and stir to combine. Cook over medium high heat until the cabbage is softened and starting to brown. Stir in the mustard and cream.

Set the seared chops, with any juices, on top. Cover the pot and place the preheated oven to braise for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, until nicely browned.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serves 4.

Serves 4

CLASSIC CABBAGE ROLLS

This is the way my mom and grandmother always made cabbage rolls at home, with ground pork and rice, braised in tomato juice. I don't often have tomato juice in the pantry but there's always a can of pureed tomatoes or passata which can be combine with water or broth for the liquid requires to braise a big pot of cabbage rolls. The recipe for Kasha with Mushrooms which follows is the perfect filling for meatless cabbage rolls.

Layer the stuffed cabbage leaves in a pot, cover with tomato juice or sauce, and simmer until tender.

I used crinkly savoy cabbage for these cabbage rolls. It's bright green on the outside and creamy at the centre — a sweet cabbage that's dramatic with thick ribbed leaves that need to be blanched and trimmed of their thick central stems (at the base) for ease of rolling.

If you find a flattened cabbage (sometimes labelled Taiwanese Cabbage), the leaves are a little more difficult to separate from the tight head, but they're thin, smooth and easier to roll once blanched.

Instructions for cooking cabbage rolls conventionally, braised on the stovetop (or in the oven), and in the pressure cooker, which speeds up the process.

1 head cabbage (choose a flat or loose-leaf variety), core removed

1 lb lean ground pork 500 g

3⁄4 cup long-grain white rice 175 mL

2 cloves garlic, minced 2

1 cup minced onion 250 mL

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups tomato vegetable cocktail or tomato juice 750 mL

In a large pot of boiling water, simmer cabbage for about 10 minutes to soften the leaves for rolling. Drain well, separate the leaves and cut away any large, thick ribs; reserve ribs. Return inner leaves to the boiling water if necessary to soften them.

Chop the smallest leaves and set aside with the ribs and core.

(Alternatively place the head of cabbage in a large bowl with a little water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2-3 minutes, stopping to remove leaves as they are softened and repeating until you have enough softened leaves for the cabbage rolls.)

For the filling, in a bowl, combine ground pork, rice, garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Rolls made with smoother cabbage

Lay cabbage leaves on a work surface. Place 2-3 tbsp of the meat mixture at the base of each leaf (depending on the size of the leaf) and roll up, folding in the sides as you go, like an envelope. (Don’t roll them too tight — leave enough room for the rice to expand during cooking.)

Place chopped cabbage and ribs in the bottom of a Dutch oven (or a covered casserole dish). Arrange the cabbage rolls on top, seam side down, in two layers and fairly tightly packed together (or arrange them vertically in the pot).

Pour tomato juice or vegetable cocktail over top. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop (if using regular pot make sure it’s safe to use on direct heat), then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1-1.5 hours, until the cabbage rolls are tender and the tomato juice reduced. Or place the covered Dutch oven/casserole dish into a 325F oven and bake the rolls for 60 to 90 minutes.

If you want to speed up the process, you can layer the rolls, in the same fashion, in a pressure cooker. Lock the lid in place and bring up to full pressure over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, just to maintain even pressure, and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to drop naturally. Remove the lid, return cooker to medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.

Carefully transfer cabbage rolls to a serving dish and drizzle some of the tomato sauce over top.

Serves 6-8.

BIGOS (POLISH HUNTER’S STEW)

This mixed meat and cabbage stew, a traditional “hunter’s stew”, is considered the national dish of Poland — a savoury combination fermented cabbage, smoky sausages, bacon, beef or pork, wild game meats and mushrooms. Every Polish family has their own special recipe for bigos, a feast dish that’s served with crusty rye bread and potatoes at winter gatherings. In Alsace, France, there’s a very similar dish served in brasseries across the country called Choucroute Garnie.

Go to a good Polish butcher to buy the end bits of smoky bacon, ham and sausage to add to the stew. Bigos is best when reheated and served a day or two after it’s made.

From 225 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes by Cinda Chavich (Robert Rose).

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ pound pork shoulder steak, cubed

1 1/2 pounds mixed smoked pork – including kielbasa, smoked ham, pork and bacon – cubed

½ cup white wine

28 oz./796 mL jar sauerkraut, rinsed and drained, squeezed dry

2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

4 pitted prunes, chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed allspice berries

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon hot paprika

½ teaspoon caraway seed

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup tomato juice or V8

1 cup chicken stock

In the pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened and starting to brown. Add the pork shoulder and mixed smoked pork (sausage, ham, smoked pork, sausage, etc.) Stir together and saute to sear and lightly brown the meats, then add the wine, stirring up any browned bits.

Add the sauerkraut, dried mushrooms, prunes, chopped apples, allspice, marjoram, paprika, caraway, bay leaves, black pepper, tomato juice and chicken stock. Stir to combine.

Lock the lid in place and bring the pressure cooker up to full pressure over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, just to maintain even pressure, and cook for 30 minutes. Release the pressure quickly. (alternately, make the stew in a heavy Dutch oven and simmer on the stovetop on low heat, or in a 300 F oven, for 2 hours until tender.)

Simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes to thicken if necessary.

Serve with boiled potatoes or rye bread. Serves 6.

©CindaChavich2026