Cannelloni with pork and turnip greens

How to make cannelloni from lacón with turnip greens .

One of the things I frequently tell you is that ” there is still life after a good recipe .”

I refer to the use of leftovers from our lunches / dinners , with which we can create new recipes as rich and good as the original.

A perfect formula for this is refillable pasta, such as lasagna or cannelloni . It is proven that a pasta dish has guaranteed success at the table, so let’s take advantage of it.

Today I have decided on these cannelloni stuffed with pork with turnip greens . I came from Galicia with a “tupper” full of the leftovers from the family meal on Sunday, at my mother’s house. She prepares this dish like no other, and I wanted to give the leftover a second chance.

In the cold months in Galicia, the kitchens are filled with dishes as traditional as  cocido and lacón , especially at Sunday celebrations, when families gather around a table.

Many consider Lacón con grelos as the “little brother” of Galician stew .

I suppose they are based on the least amount of ingredients that it entails, because in my opinion, this well-prepared dish with quality product is comparable to any other category dish.

In 1973, the great teacher Álvaro Cunqueiro, in his well-known book “A Cociña Galega”, comments on some aspects of this typical Galician dish:

 “I already know that turnip, potatoes and sausages are usually served with lacón. In Germanic tradition, pork knuckles go to the plate only with vegetables. Lacón, I understand, must go alone, and not overcooked, with turnip greens. When cooking these, the pie plate must be uncovered, and it is advisable to stir slowly, with a slotted spoon, airing them, and thus they will preserve a more lucid green ”

“There are many who prefer cold cooked pork, cut into thin slices. If only we could get it served that way, with a chestnut puree! Cooked, boneless and pressed pork is also made. Once pressed, you can wick and truffle, which is a recipe very lordship of Luguese. The lacón is also roasted. You have to marinate it well, with oregano, with pepper. Lacón of the slaughter, of course, that has not gone to salt. ”

I know that any cannelloni recipe takes time to prepare, but it is well worth the trouble to prepare.

The quality of the ingredients is very important, do not fill them with anything either, a good stew also works. Although it is a Galician recipe, we have given it an Italian touch with Garofalo’s Cannelloni , which give such good results, guaranteed quality.

Any filling that we like, added to a béchamel sauce and the gratin cheese, is a culinary pleasure that you well deserve.

Before cooking the cannelloni

1. We begin by preparing the remaining parts, which will form the filling. We cut (by knife) the remains of the Lacón, and reserve.
2. Chop the onion into a small ‘brunoise’. We wash the tomato, and cut them into small cubes. In a frying pan with a sheet of olive oil, add the onion first and fry for 2/3 min. Then the tomato and continue cooking another 5 min.
3. It is the turn of the lacón. We add it to the rest, stir and continue over medium heat for another 5/6 minutes.
4. The meat will release some of its fat. We pour the broth, and let it reduce. In this way our filling will have an intense flavor.
5. We have left the turnip greens for the end, since they do not need much more preparation.
6. Chop them a little, add to the pan and mix. Once finished, we will let it cool for when the time comes to fill the cannelloni.

Béchamel and cannelloni

1. In this recipe it is best to make a light béchamel sauce , which you can easily prepare by following the instructions we already have on the blog.
2. I insist again, that in recipes for cannelloni and lasagna, the filling always goes before the pasta. For pasta, the most convenient thing is to buy cannelloni plates to cook or even ones that are already pre-cooked.
3. If you buy the first, you must cook the pasta in plenty of water (1 liter for every 80 gr.). When it starts to boil, add a generous handful of salt and then the cannelloni in 2 batches (half and half). This way they will cook better and will not stick.
4. Respect the cooking times set by the manufacturer.
5. Once cooked, we remove them, drain and reserve on a dry cloth, so that they cool.
6. With the second option, using precooked pasta, just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
7. In general, they should be immersed in very hot water for about 20 minutes. It is important that you remove them from time to time, to avoid sticking.

Mounting and baking

1. With the filling and pasta cold, we proceed to fill it and assemble the dish.
2. With the help of a spoon, slowly and carefully, we place a little filling in the center of each plate of pasta. We roll and reserve.
3. We choose a baking dish, with a little height, that can accommodate two floors of cannelloni.
4. First, we spread a thin layer of bechamel on the base. We place the cannelloni, so that we leave some space between them.
5. We preheat the oven: 10 minutes, at 200ºC.
6. After the first batch, pour a layer of béchamel over the cannelloni, covering completely. We spread some cheese to gratin on top. We repeat the process with the second batch of cannelloni. We finish with béchamel sauce and this time with plenty of cheese to gratin.
7. We bake in two times. First 15 minutes at 200ºC, and then 5 more minutes with the gratin function activated, so that the cheese is browned and gratinated.
8. Anyway, control the power of your oven, it won’t burn too much.
9. We remove the tray from the oven and let it rest. The dish comes out very hot, so it is advisable that for about 5 minutes we let it settle and take consistency. So we can also cut the portions without fear of the cannelloni crumbling.

A delicious recipe where we take advantage of the remains of a shoulder with turnip greens or a stew, total recycling.

Amazing dishes can be made with leftovers from a roast chicken, a roast beef, or a casserole. Thousands ideas, here you have one, although you can also make croquettes or even rice.

You can see all the photos of the step by step in the next album.