INGREDIENTS
For the oven-braised cabbage:
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Cooking spray or vegetable oil
- 1 large green cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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For the sauce and serving:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
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Kosher salt
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or ground dark turkey
- 3 (15-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons raisins
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
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Juice of 1 lemon lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
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Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups hot, cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the cabbage:
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Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil; set aside.
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Quarter the cabbage through the core. Cut each quarter in half, leaving a piece of the core attached to each wedge to hold it together, for a total of 8 wedges.
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Arrange the wedges in a single layer in the baking dish, tucking them in tightly, if necessary. Pour the broth or water over the wedges and season with the salt and pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the cabbage is tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
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For the sauce:
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Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until softened, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the tomatoes, raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep warm over very low heat until the cabbage is ready. Just before serving, stir the lemon zest and juice into the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
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To serve, spoon rice onto serving plates. Top with a wedge of cabbage and ladle the sauce over the top.
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RECIPE NOTES
Make ahead: The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Cook the cabbage fresh because it does not reheat well.
Variation: Instead of braising the cabbage, grill it! Heat a gas or charcoal grill (or grill pan) to medium. Lightly brush the cut sides of the wedges with vegetable oil. Arrange them cut-side down in a single layer on the grate. Cover and cook until the cabbage begins to wilt and soften and the leafy edges blacken a bit, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip each wedge over, cover, and cook the other side. Charred and crisp-tender are delicious, but burnt and raw hold no charm, so reduce the heat or move the wedges to the cool side of the grill as needed.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
