Pork rib-eye with stuffed cabbage and ‘sauer’ turnip
The turnip here needs to be prepared in advance, to make a kind of sauerkraut. It works brilliantly in this special dinner for two.
Ingredients
For the turnip
- 2 large turnips, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp salt
- 5 cracked juniper berries
- 100-150ml/ 3½-5fl oz white wine or pale ale
For the stuffed cabbage leaf
- 1 Savoy cabbage, core removed and leaves separated
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú pork mince
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú liver, trimmed and chopped
- 2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
- 500ml/18fl oz veal stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pork
- 2 pork rib-eye chops, 2cm/¾in thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Method
Put the turnips in a large bowl add the salt and juniper berries and mix. Transfer to a sealed jar or container and leave for 2–3 days at room temperature.
For the stuffed cabbage leaf, preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.
Bring a bot of water to the boil, blanch the cabbage leaves and refresh in cold water. Place the leaves on a board.
Put the mince, liver and sage in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix. Place a tablespoon of the mix into the centre of a cabbage leaf and gather up to make a ball. Repeat this process until all the mix and leaves have been used up.
Put the veal stock in an ovenproof dish. Place the balls seam side down in the stock and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
Just before serving, rinse the turnip slices under cold water, and heat a medium sauté pan. Add the turnip with the wine or ale, and cook for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced in volume by half.
For the pork, heat a large griddle pan to hot. Oil the pork and place on the griddle pan and cook on each side for 2–3 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Remove the cabbage balls from the oven and ladle a little of the liquor into a sauce pan and cook until it reaches a sauce consistency. Check the seasoning.
Serve the pork alongside the turnips and cabbage balls. Drizzle the sauce over the dish.
