Potée lorraine

Soak the smoked pork. Soak the smoked shoulder/hock and belly in cold water under refrigeration for 60 minutes soaking, then drain. The surface saltiness is moderated but the meat still smells distinctly smoky. The soak gives better control of salt and smoke without stripping the defining character. Keep meat refrigerated and discard the soak water.

Blanch the cabbage briefly. Blanch the cabbage wedges in 100 °C boiling water for 5 minutes and drain thoroughly. The outer leaves are flexible but the wedges remain firm. A short blanch tempers cabbage aroma while preserving structure for the long potée cook. Steam and trapped water in cabbage can scald.

Start the smoked pork. Put smoked shoulder/hock, belly, onions, celery and bouquet in the stockpot with exactly 3000 ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 120 minutes, skimming as needed. The shoulder/hock is tendering around the bone and the broth has a clear smoky aroma without a rolling boil. The bone-in smoked pork needs the longest cooking time and seasons the entire broth. Intact pork must reach at least 63 °C; continue until tender and retain the mandatory rest before eating.

Add cabbage and roots. Add blanched cabbage, leeks, carrots and turnips and simmer gently for 45 minutes. The cabbage is tender, the leeks are soft and the roots are nearly cooked through. The vegetables join late enough to hold shape while absorbing the smoky broth. Taste before adding any salt; none is pre-measured because smoked products vary.

Finish with potatoes and sausage. Add the potatoes and Lorraine-style smoked sausage and simmer for 30 minutes. The sausage centre reaches 71 °C, the potatoes are tender through the middle, and the cabbage still forms distinct wedges. The late sausage stage prevents drying and protects the potato texture. Ground sausage must reach 71 °C in the centre.

Rest and carve. Turn off the heat, rest for 5 minutes passive rest, then remove bones, discard any inedible rind if tough, slice the edible meats and serve with vegetables and broth. The pork pulls cleanly from the bone, the sausage slices without crumbling and the vegetables remain distinct. The rest makes carving safer and completes the intact-pork rest interval. Remove small bone fragments before serving and warn diners that the hock/shoulder was bone-in.