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Meat, European

Irish boiled bacon with cabbage and potatoes

Irish boiled bacon is a salted pork joint poached with cabbage, potatoes and carrot, served topped with a parsley sauce. This recipe for 4 people takes 2h10, stays easy to make and costs €3.50 per serving. The key is slow poaching the pork and cooking the cabbage right in its flavorful broth.

Tonight we're making the Irish celebration dish, a salted pork joint poached with cabbage and potatoes, served with parsley sauce.

Irish boiled bacon with cabbage and potatoes
Total time
2 h 10
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Irish boiled bacon is that salted pork joint that simmers quietly while cabbage and potatoes soak up the broth around it. The meat turns tender, the cabbage keeps a little bite, and the parsley sauce adds a fresh, tangy touch that lifts the whole plate. Nothing fancy here, just time and a good broth doing the work.

It's the kind of dish for a slow winter Sunday, when the pot can simmer away while you get on with other things. It works well for guests, since the sliced meat and vegetables plate up nicely with their sauce, but it also feeds a family without fuss on a cold weeknight. Mon Chou likes to bring it back as soon as the weather turns.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Salted pork shoulder or collar 1 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Green cabbage 1
  • Potatoes 800 g
  • Carrot 1
  • Onion 1
  • Parsley 1 bunch

Dairy

  • Butter 40 g
  • Milk 40 cl

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 40 g
  • Mustardoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Rinse the pork joint, place it in a large pot with the carrot and onion, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.

    If the pork is very salty, change the water after the first boil.

  2. Skim off the foam, then let it simmer gently, covered. 1 h 30

    Count forty five minutes per kilo, the meat is ready when a knife tip slides in easily.

  3. Cut the cabbage into wedges and add it with the potatoes to the broth for the last twenty minutes. 20 min

    Cabbage cooked in the broth picks up the pork flavor, that's the secret to this dish.

  4. Make a béchamel with the butter, flour and milk, letting it thicken as you stir. 8 min

    Warm milk helps avoid lumps.

  5. Chop the parsley and stir it into the sauce with the mustard and pepper.

    Add the parsley off the heat so it stays bright green and fresh.

  6. Slice the pork, arrange it with the cabbage and potatoes, and spoon the sauce over the top.

    Cut against the grain for more tender slices.

Our tips to get it right

  • Taste the broth before adding any extra salt, the salted pork usually provides plenty on its own.
  • Pick a well marbled pork joint rather than a very lean one, it stays juicier after two hours of cooking.
  • Let the pork rest five minutes out of the broth before slicing, it holds together better and loses less juice.

The variations

  • Swap the pork shoulder for salted pork belly, a bit richer but just as tender.
  • For a meatless version, poach a whole cabbage and potatoes in a well seasoned vegetable broth, then serve with the same parsley sauce.
  • To save time, cut the potatoes into smaller chunks, they cook in twelve minutes instead of twenty.

What to serve it with

  • Irish soda bread
  • Fresh salted butter
  • Dry cider or light lager

Storage

The bacon and vegetables keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, ideally with the sauce kept separate. It freezes well without the parsley sauce, which doesn't slice as cleanly once thawed. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven with a splash of broth so the pork doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Do you need to soak the meat before cooking it?

No soaking needed if it comes from a good butcher, poaching in plenty of water is enough to mellow the salt. If it smells very salty, change the water after the first boil.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

Yes, the pork and vegetables actually taste better reheated the next day. Make the parsley sauce at the last minute so it keeps its fresh color and flavor.

What cut of pork works if salted pork shoulder isn't available?

Salted pork collar works just as well and stays moist after poaching. Ask your butcher for a cut that isn't too lean so the meat doesn't dry out.

Why cook the cabbage in the pork broth?

The cabbage soaks up the pork's flavor while it cooks, which is what gives the dish its character. Cooked separately in plain water, it would taste much blander.

How long does it take to make a plate of Irish boiled bacon with cabbage and potatoes?

Count 2 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a plate of Irish boiled bacon with cabbage and potatoes?

About 590 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a plate of Irish boiled bacon with cabbage and potatoes cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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