The late Paul “Pableaux” Johnson was a revered New Orleans home cook who hosted Monday dinners of red beans and cornbread for an expansive list of friends, esteemed visitors to the city, and new acquaintances. This recipe for smothered cabbage (aka “pig-basted greens”) memorializes one of the “good luck foods” he’d make every January 1, when he’d open up his house for a feast to ring in the new year. Browning chunks of tasso ham—smoked, spiced pork shoulder steaks that are a specialty of Louisiana—renders their flavorful fat, creating a delicious medium for caramelizing a full two pounds of sliced onions. The sweetness of the caramelized onions makes a perfect foil for the salty tasso, briny olive salad, and bright tomatoes. Adding a generous amount of garlic, two bay leaves, and a couple of big pinches of Creole seasoning yields a super flavorful base in which to cook three pounds of cabbage, while cutting the cabbage into large chunks and smothering the mixture (cooking it covered, low and slow) for a little more than an hour yields cabbage that is tender but still keeps some of its texture. A final rest off heat allows the flavors to fully meld.
We recommend using Louisiana products for this dish. Outside of the region, you can find tasso from online sources such as Best Stop, Jacob’s World Famous Andouille, or Bourgeois Meat Market. You can also substitute andouille sausage for the tasso, which has a similar flavor profile. We developed this recipe with Central Grocery’s Famous Italian Olive Salad, available online, though you can substitute any jarred, oil-packed chopped olive salad or olive bruschetta.
