One of my favorite cookbooks on the shelf is Molly Stevens’s All About Braising. Her recipe for “World’s Best Braised Green Cabbage” is AWESOME. My adapted version of this recipe is a mainstay in my veggie side dish arsenal because it transforms a lowly humble vegetable into a dish worth oohing and aahing over. Yes, it takes 2.5 hours from start to finish, but the total prep time is only ~10-15 minutes. Plus, it makes your house smell so dang yummy.
Before:
After:
Here’s what to gather to feed 4-6 people:
- 2 tablespoons melted lard, ghee, or bacon grease for coating the baking dish
- 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
- 1 large red or yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in ¼-inch coins
- ¼ cup bone broth or water
- ¼ cup melted lard, ghee, or bacon grease
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- Aleppo pepper (optional)
- Aged balsamic vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 325°F with the rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with the melted fat.
2. Lop off the tough stem end of the cabbage and divide it into 6-8 wedges. Keep the core attached so the wedges stay intact after the long cooking time. Don’t worry: The tough core will get super tender, too.
3. Place the cabbage pieces in a single layer in the greased dish – a little overlap is okay. Toss on the onions and carrots and drizzle with broth and the melted fat. Season well with salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper (if using). Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.
4. Cook the cabbage undisturbed for 1 hour. Crack open the foil cover and carefully flip the wedges over. Reseal the dish tightly and braise for another hour or until fork-tender.
5. At this point, you can remove the cabbage to cool and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it (up to 4 days). When you’re ready to serve, crank the oven up to 425 F and bake until browned (about 15 minutes).
6. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.
Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index! You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPad® app, and in my New York Times bestselling cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel 2013).
