Cabbage is pretty simple, as vegetables go. It’s a beautiful, tightly bound ball of green-yellow leaves with a distinct pungent scent and taste. But when chopped up and left to melt and brown in salty, savory bacon fat, cabbage transforms into a pot of soft, mellow vegetable magic that soothes the soul.
Southern cooks know this magic well. Here’s how to bring all of that cabbage magic into your own kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
- 5thick-cut slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick pieces
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Olive oil, if needed
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut through the core into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
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Heat a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and most of the fat is rendered, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Take the pot off the heat and let cool a few minutes. If you have less than 3 tablespoons of grease in the pot, add olive oil to make up the difference.
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Place the Dutch oven back over medium-high heat; add the garlic and stir. Place the cabbage wedges cut-side down in the pot (they will not sit in one layer). Cook undisturbed until the cabbage pieces on the bottom begin to slightly brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, bring up the cabbage sitting on the bottom to rotate the pieces on the top to the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking until the cabbage slightly wilts and more pieces brown on the edges, 7 to 8 minutes.
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Reduce the heat to medium. Add the broth, bay leaf, and salt. Simmer, stirring every few minutes, until the cabbage is tender and all the liquid is evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes.
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Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Scatter the crispy bacon on top and serve immediately.
RECIPE NOTES
Bacon substitute: Black pepper pastrami can be substituted for the bacon.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.