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German Home-Style Red Cabbage

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I found a cookbook in the library called The Cuisines of Germany by Horst Scharfenberg. After reading just a few pages, I was hooked. Despite it being out of print, I managed to track down a copy on the Internet.  It is now among my favorite cookbooks in my collection.

The  region where I currently live has been pretty void of any German cuisine.  So, the cookbook has been a great help in filling in recipes to recreate some of my favorite German restaurant meals.

One of my favorite meals is Saurbrauten, Spaetzle, Braised Red Cabbage, and Chunky Applesauce. I am content with my homemade spaetzle and chunky apple sauce, but my red cabbage just is was not as good.

However, since finding a recipes for red cabbage in The Cuisines of Germany, my red cabbage is as good…if not better…than the restaurants.

I did not have all of the ingredients the recipe listed (ie. goose fat), so I had to make a couple of adjustments.

: German “Home-Style” Red Cabbage

  1. 2 lb. head of red cabbage
  2. 1-2 Tbsp. bacon grease or other fat
  3. 4 small onions
  4. 1/4 c. red wine vinegar*
  5. 2 -4 Tbsp. beef stock
  6. 1 large Granny Smith apple
  7. salt, to taste
  8. 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  9. pepper, to taste
  10. 2 bay leaves
  11. 5 Tbsp. red current jelly**
  12. 1/4 scant c. brown sugar**

  1. Wash cabbage and remove any damaged outer leaves.
  2. Cut head into quarters and remove core.
  3. Cut each quarter into “matchstick” size pieces (small strips).
  4. Cut two of the onions into very thin slices.
  5. Peel and cut ends off other two onions, but leave them whole.
  6. Heat fat in a heavy-bottomed, large pan over medium heat.
  7. Saute onion slices in fat until they are mostly tender.
  8. Add cabbage and mix until thoroughly coated in fat.
  9. Add red wine vinegar with 2 Tbsp. beef stock to the cabbage.
  10. Peel apple and using a coarse grater, grate apple into pan.
  11. Add whole onions to pan.
  12. Add salt, 1/2 of the cloves, pepper, and a bay leaf.
  13. Cook covered on low for an hour, stirring twice.
  14. Add more salt, pepper, cloves and other bay leaf.
  15. Add 2 more Tbsp. beef stock, if needed.
  16. Add red current jelly and brown sugar.
  17. Cook on low for at least another 30 minutes.
  18. Cabbage should be tender.
  19. REMOVE BAY LEAVES AND WHOLE ONIONS BEFORE SERVING.

* You may want to use 1/4 c. of red wine and 1 tbsp. vinegar, as per the original recipe.

**The red current jelly is all that is called for in the original recipe. It is used in place of any sugar. However, some red current jelly is very tart (apparently, brand specific). Add just enough brown sugar so the dish is sweetened to your taste.

This dish is great the next day.

 

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  1. […] is easier and less time consuming to make than traditional sauerbraten, but it tastes very similar. Red cabbage and applesauce (not pictured) are my favorite sides for any form of sauerbraten. I also love to […]