Chou farci limousin

Desalt the pork. Soak the 800 g semi-salted pork shoulder in 2500 ml of the listed cold water. Heat: cold water. Timing: 2 hours passive soaking. Purpose: A defined soak moderates semi-salted pork without improvising repeated water changes. The pork remains firm but its surface salinity has been reduced by the measured soak. Safety. Keep the pork refrigerated during desalting.

Poach the pork. Drain the pork, transfer it to 2500 ml fresh listed water with bouquet garni and gently poach until the thickest part reaches 63 °C; reserve 300 ml strained liquor. Heat: gentle simmer. Timing: 120 minutes. Purpose: Gentle poaching cooks the semi-salted shoulder while producing a useful braising liquor. The pork is tender enough to chop and the thickest part has reached 63 °C. Safety. Rest the whole pork at least 3 minutes after reaching 63 °C.

Rest the poached pork. Rest the whole poached pork before chopping. Heat: room temperature. Timing: 3 minutes passive rest. Purpose: The rest completes the conservative whole-pork safety control. The pork has rested for at least 3 minutes after reaching 63 °C. Safety. Keep total room-temperature handling brief.

Cool the cooked pork. Spread the pork in a shallow dish until cool enough to chop safely. Heat: room temperature. Timing: 20 minutes passive cooling. Purpose: Cooling briefly makes chopping practical. The pork is cool enough to handle but has not been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Safety. Refrigerate if assembly is delayed.

Blanch the cabbage leaves. Blanch the separated cabbage leaves until flexible, then drain. Heat: boiling. Timing: 5 minutes. Purpose: Flexible leaves wrap the filling cleanly. The leaves fold without tearing while retaining enough structure to make parcels.

Drain the leaves. Spread the leaves to cool and drain thoroughly. Heat: room temperature. Timing: 10 minutes passive cooling. Purpose: Dry leaves prevent diluted filling. The leaves are cool and no free water beads on their surfaces.

Soften carrot, onion and leek. Melt the 25 g lard and cook carrot, onion and leek slowly until very tender. Heat: low. Timing: 15 minutes. Purpose: Slow cooking gives the farmhouse filling a soft aromatic base. The vegetables are soft and sweet-smelling with little browning.

Reduce wine into the filling. Add the 150 ml white wine to the vegetables and reduce briefly, then add chopped pork and the bread soaked in 200 ml milk; simmer gently until the filling is cohesive and season with pepper. Heat: medium-low. Timing: 35 minutes. Purpose: Reduction controls moisture and leaves enough acidity to balance the pork. The filling is moist and cohesive, the vegetables are very soft and no pool of wine remains at the base of the pan.

Form eight parcels. Divide the filling into eight equal portions, wrap each securely in cabbage leaves and arrange seam-side down in a baking dish. Timing: 20 minutes. Purpose: Individual parcels keep the Limousin form visibly distinct from the whole Auvergnat cabbage. Eight compact parcels sit snugly in one layer and no filling is exposed.

Braise the parcels. Add 100 ml white wine and the 300 ml reserved pork liquor around the parcels; cover and bake at 125 °C until the parcel centres reach 74 °C. Heat: 125 °C oven. Timing: 160 minutes. Purpose: Slow braising tenderises the leaves and brings the mixed cooked filling safely back to serving temperature. The cabbage is spoon-tender and the centre of each tested parcel reaches 74 °C. Safety. Check 74 °C in the centre of a representative parcel.

Boil the potatoes. During the final part of braising, boil the 600 g potatoes until tender. Heat: gentle boil. Timing: 20 minutes. Purpose: Plain potatoes suit the braising juices and keep the service traditional in character. A small knife slides through the potatoes without resistance, but they remain intact.