Pork, Cabbage & Caramelized Onion Pie (Buckwheat Crust)

• Servings 6–8
• Time About 3 1/4 hours total (about 1 1/4 hours active)

Ingredients

Pork (Instant Pot — cook all, use about half)

• 4.3 lb (~1950g) pork butt, 2-inch chunks (use ~6 cups / ~1.5 lb shredded; save rest)
• 2 tsp (12g) salt + 1 tsp (2g) black pepper
• 1 cup each (240ml each) chicken broth and apple cider
• 1 Tbsp (~2g) fresh sage, chopped + 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme + 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Vegetables & thickener

• 2 large (~600g) sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp (28g) butter
• 4 cloves (~12g) garlic, minced
• 3 medium (~250g) rainbow carrots, sliced 1/4 inch
• 4 cups (~350g) green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1/3 head)
• 2 Tbsp (16g) all-purpose flour (or 1 Tbsp / 8g cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) reserved pork cooking juices, reduced

Buckwheat crust (top crust)

• 1 1/4 cups (150g) buckwheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups (140g) cake flour
• 1 tsp (6g) salt
• 1 cup (227g) cold butter, cubed
• 5–6 Tbsp (~75–90g) ice water (start with 5 Tbsp)
• 1 egg (~50g) beaten with 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash

Instructions

1. Crust: whisk flours and salt; cut in butter to pea-size. Add 5 Tbsp ice water, up to 1 Tbsp more only if dry. Form a disk; chill 1 hour.
2. Pork: season chunks with salt and pepper (optional: sear on Sauté). Add broth, cider, sage, thyme, nutmeg; scrape bottom. High pressure 65–75 min, then 15 min natural release.
3. Shred pork hot; skim fat. Reduce juices on Sauté 8–10 min. Toss pork with enough juice to moisten. Measure ~6 cups (~1.5 lb) for the pie; refrigerate the rest.
4. Meanwhile caramelize onions in butter over medium-low, stirring often, 30–40 min until deep golden; add garlic for the last minute.
5. Add carrots and cabbage; cook 8–10 min until tender. Stir in flour 1 min, add 3/4 cup reduced juices, simmer 2 min until thick. Fold in pork; season. Filling should be moist, not soupy.
6. Heat oven to 400°F. Spread filling in a ~10-inch deep casserole on a sheet pan.
7. Roll dough between parchment ~1 inch wider than pan (fragile; patch cracks). Lay on top, crimp edges, cut 4–5 vents, brush with egg wash.
8. Bake 35–45 min until golden and bubbling at the vents (center 165°F); tent with foil if browning fast. Rest 15 min.

Levers and swaps

• Crust flour: Buckwheat/cake (this version) — earthy, fragile; Spelt/cake (original) — nutty, easier to roll; All-purpose — classic, sturdiest
• Crust fat: All butter — rich, flaky; Half butter, half lard — flakier, more savory
• Cooking liquid: Broth + cider — gently sweet; All broth — savory; Hard cider — drier, tangier
• Vegetables: Green cabbage — sweet, soft; Kale — earthier, holds texture; Leeks — mild, silky onion flavor
• Thickener: Flour — opaque, gravy-like; Cornstarch slurry — glossy, gluten-light
• Herbs: Sage + thyme — classic; Rosemary — piney, bolder; Add fennel seed — sausage-like

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