This pork and cabbage casserole is a reconstructed cabbage stuffed with a ground pork filling. It slices just like a cake, and is a wonderful hearty dish that is fun serve. This dish is similar to stuffed cabbage rolls but without all the fuss of messing around with individual rolls.
The recipe does take a few hours to put together and cook, but I think it’s time well spent. If you do not have a lot of people to feed in your house then this dish also reheats well during the week.
I used bouillon cubes, but you could use any chicken stock – including homemade. Just be sure to adjust seasoning if needed. This casserole is great served up with some mashed cauliflower, or cauliflower rice.
Yields 8 servings of Pork and Cabbage Casserole
The Preparation
- 1 medium green cabbage
- 16 ounces ground pork
- 1 ounce pork rinds, crushed
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium celery, finely diced
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- 6 whole chicken bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
The Execution
1. Carefully remove the stem from the cabbage and peel the leaves apart. Try to keep the leaves as intact as you can. The larger leaves will be used for the top of the loaf.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reserve some of the leaves for the bottom of the loaf, and blanch the rest.
3. Drain and cool the blanched leaves on some paper towels, then reserve for assembly.
4. In a large mixing bowl add the ground pork, crushed pork rinds, diced onion, diced celery, egg, ground nutmeg, and salt and pepper.
5. Mix the pork stuffing together thoroughly with your hands.
6. Put a layer of uncooked cabbage into the bottom of a thick bottomed pot, or use a casserole dish that is stovetop safe.
7. On top of that add a layer of the cooked cabbage leaves.
8. Then, put a layer of the pork stuffing.
9. Repeat layering the cabbage loaf until you have used all of the stuffing and leaves. Do your best to create a domed shape that will resemble the original cabbage. Finish the loaf off with the larger outer leaves.
10. Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, bay leaf, and fresh thyme. The broth should mostly cover the cabbage. You might not need the full six cups, it depends on the size of your pot. If you need more liquid then it is OK to add some water.
11. Bring the pot to a boil then weigh the cabbage down with a pot lid that is slight smaller than the pot you are cooking in.
12. Turn the heat down and simmer for at least 1 hour before serving. The liquid should be greatly reduced.
This makes a total of 8 servings of Pork and Cabbage Casserole. Each serving comes out to be 223 calories, 14.1g fats, 6.2g net carbs, and 14.2g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 1 medium green cabbage | 227 | 0.5 | 52.7 | 22.7 | 30 | 11.5 |
| 16 ounce ground pork | 1193 | 96.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73.4 |
| 1 ounce pork rinds | 162 | 10.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15.4 |
| 1 small yellow onion | 26 | 0.1 | 6.1 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 0.8 |
| 1 medium celery | 6 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| 1 large egg | 79 | 5.2 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.4 | 6.9 |
| 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg | 6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| — salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 whole chicken bouillon cube | 30 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2 tablespoon tomato paste | 27 | 0.2 | 6.2 | 1.4 | 4.9 | 1.4 |
| 3 tablespoon soy sauce | 25 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 2 | 3.9 |
| 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 whole bay leaf | 3 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| 1 teaspoon fresh thyme | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Totals | 1788 | 113.1 | 76.4 | 26.5 | 49.9 | 113.8 |
| Per Serving (/8) | 223 | 14.1 | 9.5 | 3.3 | 6.2 | 14.2 |
Pork and Cabbage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium green cabbage
- 16 ounce ground pork
- 1 ounce pork rinds crushed
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1 medium celery finely diced
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- 6 whole chicken bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Instructions
- Carefully remove the stem from the cabbage and peel the leaves apart. Try to keep the leaves as intact as you can. The larger leaves will be used for the top of the loaf.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reserve some of the leaves for the bottom of the loaf, and blanch the rest.
- Drain and cool the blanched leaves on some paper towels, then set aside for assembly.
- In a large mixing bowl add the ground pork, crushed pork rinds, onion, celery, egg, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Mix the pork stuffing together thoroughly with your hands.
- Put a layer of uncooked cabbage into the bottom of a thick bottomed pot, or use a casserole dish that is stovetop safe.
- On top of that, add a layer of the cooked cabbage leaves.
- Then, put a layer of the pork stuffing.
- Repeat layering the cabbage loaf until you have used all of the stuffing and leaves. Do your best to create a domed shape that will resemble the original cabbage. Finish the loaf off with the larger outer leaves.
- Add the chicken broth (bouillon + water), tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, bay leaf, and fresh thyme. The broth should mostly cover the cabbage. You might not need the full amount; it depends on the size of your pot. If you need more liquid, it is okay to add some water.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then weigh the cabbage down with a pot lid that is slightly smaller than the pot you are cooking in.
- Turn the heat down and simmer for at least 1 hour before serving. The liquid should be greatly reduced.
