Potée champenoise

Desalt the cured pork. Soak the demi-sel belly and pork shoulder in cold water under refrigeration for 60 minutes soaking, then drain and pat dry. The surface feels clean and no crusts of curing salt remain. A short cold soak moderates the pot without relying on aggressive dilution later. Keep the meat refrigerated throughout and discard the soaking water.

Blanch the cabbage briefly. Bring a separate pot of water to 100 °C and blanch the cabbage quarters for 10 minutes, then drain well. The cabbage is flexible at the edges but still firm through the core. Blanching tempers the cabbage before it joins the cured meats. Drain away from the body because the cabbage holds very hot water.

Start the cured meats. Place demi-sel belly, pork shoulder, onions, celery and bouquet in a large stockpot with exactly 3000 ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer and skim, then cook for 90 minutes. The pork is becoming tender and the broth is savoury but not violently boiling. Cured pork needs a long head start before the vegetables and sausage. Intact pork must reach at least 63 °C and ultimately cook until tender.

Add the vegetables and ham. Add blanched cabbage, carrots, turnips and smoked ham and simmer gently for 40 minutes. The cabbage is tendering and the carrots and turnips are almost cooked through. The ham seasons the second half of the cook while the roots remain intact. Taste the broth before considering any additional salt; none is pre-allocated here.

Finish with potatoes, sausage and beans. Add potatoes and sausages. Simmer 25 minutes, then add the drained white beans and cook 5 minutes more. The sausages reach 71 °C, the potatoes are tender, and the beans are hot but not broken down. Late beans prevent a canned or pre-cooked bean from turning pasty. Probe each sausage in the centre to confirm 71 °C.

Rest before serving. Turn off the heat and rest for 5 minutes passive rest before slicing pork and dividing meat, vegetables, beans and broth among six deep plates. The broth has settled and the vegetables remain distinct when ladled. The pause completes the intact-pork rest interval and makes portioning safer. Remove any string or loose bone fragments before serving.