Pork and Cabbage with Roasted Potatoes

This month we are all about cooking with what we have on hand. I made a list of all the ingredients we have in the fridge, freezer and pantry and are planning meals accordingly. We did not write down staples that we always have on hand like flour, sugar, eggs, milk and so on. This is such a good way to use up what’s on hand, especially the freezer stuff. I feel we sometimes overlook some ingredients like canned chickpeas or things buried in the freezer, so having a list is a good way to use up those items.

I also realized that if we needed an ingredient for a recipe, instead of substituting, we would just go buy it so we could make that meal. Unfortunately that can get expensive especially with our rising food costs. Instead, we are doing the no grocery shopping challenge this month. For January, I decided that we would not purchase anything unless we ran out of milk or eggs. We are learning from our history lessons, that more often than not, meals were made from ingredients on hand and grocery shopping happened once or twice a month only. So we are doing a bit of an experiment — can we grocery shop at the end of the month and use what we have on hand? It can be tricky, but my daughters think this is fun and who doesn’t love a meal time challenge!?!

My daughters are also in charge of preparing two meals each week this month which is teaching them budgets, meal planning and of course cooking too. I enjoy cooking simple old fashioned meals. And we can make an array of delicious meals with simple ingredients we have on hand.

Today, I am making this pork and cabbage with roasted potatoes. For the pork, I am using bacon but when I grew up, the pork was often a ham hock or pork ribs and if my mom or gramma did not have cabbage on hand, then sauerkraut was used. It was usually served with boiled potatoes and bread along with other vegetables like peas and carrots, salad or corn.

I found several recipes from the 1800’s for braised cabbage with salt pork. It would cook for several hours over the fire or cookstove and would be served with dumplings (similar to spaetzle) and bread. First the onion and salt pork would be cooked until much of the grease came out of the pork and then the cabbage would be added and braised for most of the day. Sounds delicious to me and I am sharing my take on that old fashioned meal!

Let’s get started!

First, peel and chop potatoes. Drizzle with oil and seasonings. I am using salt, pepper and dried dill. Bake at 350F for about an hour. These roasted for 1-1/2 hours until they were tender and lightly golden (because we like those crispy edges on the potatoes!)

While the potatoes roast, chop the bacon and cook until crispy or desired doneness. Once the bacon is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Drain excess oil.

Add onion to the pan in some of the bacon grease and cook until onion is tender.

Slice cabbage and grate a large carrot. I am using half of a cabbage. Add cabbage and carrots to the onion and cook for 30 minutes. Place lid on with a splash of water or extra bacon grease so the cabbage can steam. Season with salt, pepper and dried dill. You can add any other seasonings you like. I especially like dill with cabbage. Stir often so cabbage does not burn.

Once the cabbage is tender, add bacon and stir. We kept the bacon on the side so it stays crispy and to also use it for another meal. Serve pork and cabbage with potatoes and a slice of bread. You can also serve other vegetables with this yummy meal too.

We had enough for my family to eat two meals. It is delicious and actually quite filling. This is also a cost effective meal, costing only $1.25 Cdn per person.

Pork & Cabbage with Roasted Potatoes

1lb bacon, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/2 large cabbage, sliced thin or shredded
1 carrot, shredded
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
dried dill or chopped fresh dill

Peel and chop potatoes. Drizzle with oil, salt, pepper and dried dill. Roast at 350F for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until tender. While potatoes roast, chop bacon and fry in a skillet. Once bacon is cooked, remove from pan along with some of the grease. Add onion and cook until onion is tender. Add cabbage and carrot. Add a splash of water and seasonings. Place a lid on and cook until cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes, stirring often. To serve, add roasted potatoes to the bowl with the cabbage and sprinkle with a few pieces of bacon. Serve with fresh bread, bun or biscuits.

VIDEO coming soon.

enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours