Broiled Ham Hock with Braised Cabbage

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dijon or whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon white or red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 pounds bone-in ham hocks
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound savoy or white cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Put the mustard and vinegar into a small lidded container, then pour in the 1/2 cup olive oil. Close it tightly and shake hard until the dressing comes together. Add salt and pepper until it tastes right, and keep it nearby.
2. Place the ham hocks in a large saucepan with the onion, celery, carrot, parsley, and bay leaves. Pour in enough water to rise 2 inches above everything. Set the pan over high heat and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover the pan, and cook until the hocks are fully tender, about 3 hours. Take the pan off the heat and leave it there for the moment.
3. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high in a 12-inch sauté pan with straight sides, letting the oil get glossy and hot. Add the chopped cabbage and cook it, stirring often, until it relaxes and softens, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, then keep cooking and stirring until the cabbage starts to take on color, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Heat the broiler to high, and slide the rack so it sits 6 inches under the heating element. Spoon the cabbage into a casserole dish that can go under the broiler. Lift the hocks onto the cabbage, throwing away the cooked vegetables and bay leaves, and saving the broth for another use. Tuck the hocks into the cabbage so the meat is covered but the skin stays open to the heat. Sprinkle the hocks with salt and pepper. Broil until the skin browns on 1 side, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Flip the hock and broil once more, until the skin is browned and crisp, about another 8 minutes. Bring it to the table right away, with the cabbage and the mustard vinaigrette alongside.