Braised Red Cabbage with Bacon
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 1 hr 15 mins
Active: 30 mins
Makes: 8 servings
By Regan Burns
Poor cabbage has a bad rap and we can’t figure out why. Prepared this way, it’s savory and delicious—a fabulous side dish.
What to buy: Red cabbage is classic in this dish, but our preparation method will work with any cabbage variety.
Game plan: You can make this dish up to one day ahead; it gets better as it sits.
For a vegetarian option, omit the bacon and substitute low-sodium vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
This recipe was featured as part of our Moktoberfest story.
- 1 medium head red cabbage
- 6 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon, or other smoked bacon, cut into lardons (about 1/4-by-1/4-by-3/4-inch pieces)
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Slice cabbage in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to cut a V-shaped notch around the white core and discard it. Slice both pieces in half again so you have 4 quarters, then thinly slice each piece crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set aside.
- Place bacon in a large Dutch oven or other large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and most of the fat has cooked off.
- Add onion and stir to coat in bacon fat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until onion softens and edges begin to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add cabbage, stir to coat it in bacon fat and cook until cabbage begins to wilt, about 4 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and mustard.
- Deglaze the pan by adding cider vinegar and scraping the pan with a spatula to incorporate the browned bits into the sauce. Add chicken broth and season with a few pinches of salt and more freshly ground pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan tightly. Simmer cabbage, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and soupy and bacon is tender, about 45 minutes. If cabbage begins to look dry, add more chicken broth or water.
Beverage pairing: Crack open a Duvel, a Schneider Aventinus, or a Stone Smoked Porter.
A light- to medium-bodied red wine with sweet red fruits like the 2004 WillaKenzie Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir will complement the earthy and smoky components of this dish.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
Just made this recipe tonight. Delish! I used green cabbage as that's all I had in the house and I used homemade chicken broth (not low sodium), otherwise followed directions exactly. Who knew cabbage could be so yummy?
I made a similar red cabbage braise last week, using less bacon but adding browned smoked pork chops, Polish sausages, chopped apples, juniper berries and red wine instead of the cider vinegar. I used the brown sugar and a few shots of balsamic vinegar. No mustard in it, but applied to taste on the meats at the table.
just tried it out yesterday for a st.patty's day dinner tonight. it turned out great. i substituted turkey bacon for the regular bacon and no one could tell the difference. lots of compliments.
I'm no great cook, but I thought it was the best cabbage dish I ever tasted. Even my wife, no cabbage lover she, praised it.
Only modification I made was to put the dish in the oven after adding the chicken stock, DW said it wouldn't go dry that way. It didn't.
I made this for dinner this evening, with a couple of small changes. I had two v. small cabbages - one red and one green - from the farmer's market, so I used those. I don't particularly like cider vinegar, so I used champagne vinegar instead, and omitted the sugar. I browned some pork chops and added to the cabbage after twenty five minutes, which meant they cooked for 20 minutes - I think that was too long, so next time I'd add them after 30 minutes. Really delicious, and for some reason I can imagine this cabbage being tasty w/ a fried egg on top.
Meant to also say that I actually think it is easier to remove the core after cutting the cabbages in to quarters.
I made this recipe almost exactly as advised and it turned out great. Like squash head above, I also used full-sodium chicken broth and added salt as directed during cooking. The final output wasn't at all oversalty.
Wow, this was GREAT. i made the vegetarian version - olive oil instead of bacon fat. I didn't use any sugar, and I used balsamic vinegar instead. this recipe is VERY EASY - you only have to chop 2 things, and if you forget about it for a while during cooking, it still comes out fine. only word of caution: don't wear white while you're eating it. that is dangerous.
I made it with white cabbage because that was what I had. Tasty! But I bet I have half a dozen similar cabbage recipes in my cookbooks.