Traditional German red cabbage is cooked with red wine vinegar, a touch of mustard, and a sprinkle of caraway seeds. This warm side dish pairs wonderfully with many pork or beef recipes, especially German sauerbraten.
PREP TIME 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 40 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 10 minutesminutes
YIELD 12servings
Ingredients
1medium head red cabbage
8slicesbacon
1onion
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
3tablespoonswhole grain mustard
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
1tablespooncaraway seeds
1/3cupapple cider vinegar
1cupchicken broth
1bay leaf
Instructions
Prepare the cabbage:
Cut the head of cabbage in half, running the knife through the stem to cut it lengthwise. Remove the white core of the cabbage by cutting a V-shape around it and discard.
Cut the halves into 3 long wedges and then thinly shred the wedges. Gather the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
See blog post above for step by step photos if you need clarification.
Cook the Red Cabbage:
Chop the bacon into small 1/4-inch pieces. Add them to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is brown and crispy.
While the bacon cooks, peel the onion and cut it into half. Thinly slice the onion into half-moon shapes. Add the sliced onion to the crispy bacon and stir to combine. Cook until softened through, about 3 - 4 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the onion mixture and stir to combine.
Add the prepared cabbage to the pot and stir it into the bacon drippings. Continue to cook and gently stir until the cabbage has reduced in volume by about half.
Add the mustard, brown sugar, and caraway seeds to the cabbage and stir to combine.
Add the cider vinegar to the pot and stir to combine. Use the liquid to deglaze the pan if needed. Scrape up all the browned bits with the cooking spoon and stir them into the cabbage.
Add the chicken broth and stir to combine. Place the bay leaf on top of the cabbage. Bring the liquid to a gentle bubble and then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pot with a lid, keeping it vented just a little on one side.
Cook the red cabbage for 40 minutes or until very softened and tender. Stir it every 5 minutes or so and check the liquid levels. If the stock evaporates too much, you can add a tablespoon or two more to keep it from getting too dry.
Serve the red cabbage warm or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You can serve it the next day cold as a refreshing side or you can reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop or by simply microwaving it until heated through.