Traditional Irish Bacon With Cabbage and Parsley Sauce
Ireland’s national dish of bacon and cabbage can be a sorry disappointment nowadays, partly because it is so difficult to get good-quality bacon with a decent bit of fat on it. Traditionally, the cabbage was always cooked in the bacon water. People could only hang one pot over the fire at a time, so when the bacon was almost cooked, they added the cabbage for the last 30 or 45 minutes of cooking. The bacon water gives a salty, unforgettable flavor, which many people, including me, still hanker for.
Serves 12 to 15
- 1 (about 7-pound) “collar bacon”—smoked pork shoulder (picnic shoulder)
- 1 Savoy or 2 pointed cabbages, cut into thin shreds
- 3 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the parsley sauce:
