Braised Red Cabbage

Say what you will about Martha Stewart, she puts out some great magazines!  We get Martha Stewart Living, and just received the November issue, which means it's time for thinking about Thanksgiving!  Browsing the pages filled with beautiful side dishes, pies, and gravies, I was ready to put on an apron and make the whole thing!

I settled on one recipe to test out for my own family's Thanksgiving:  Braised Red Cabbage.  I even had all the ingredients, no need for a trip to the store for me! This recipe is very easy, like beginner-level, but has a complex depth of flavor.  I served it with sausages, since to me it has a slightly Germanic-feel to it, along with a green salad and some extra sliced apples.  Try it and see - will this make the cut for your Thanksgiving feast?

Braised Red Cabbage
(Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living magazine)

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces bacon (about 4 slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 head red cabbage (2 1/4 pounds), halved, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
• salt and pepper
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used a Fuji apple and didn't peel it, and it was fine!)

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes.  Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add cabbage, vinegar, wine, water, sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; stir to combine.  Raise heat to medium-high, cover, and cook 5 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, covered stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.  Stir apple into cabbage, and cook, covered, until cabbage and apples are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.  Season with pepper.

When you first stir in the wine, cider, and sugar, the smell is very pungent.  Don't despair!  After the cooking time, it mellows considerably, and got very favorable reviews from the family.