Braised Red Cabbage

The original recipe is from Holly of Vancouver, Canada and can be found on her Spend with Pennies blog.  My version has some small variations based on the ingredients I typically have on hand or find easily in my local grocery. You MUST use vinegar to retain the red purple color. If you dislike vinegar, use green cabbage and roast it rather than braising.

• 1 large head red purple cabbage, chopped – about 6 cups or more
• 1 medium to large apple, any variety
• 1/2 large yellow, Vidalia, or 1015 onion, chopped to make 1/2-3/4 Cup
• 1/3 Cup vinegar – apple cider or plain but not balsamic
• 1/4 Cup white sugar
• 1 Cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper

I love chopping the red cabbage, apple and onion with the slicer tube on my food processor, but it is fine to chop everything by hand with a knife. I also leave the skin on my apple but it is your choice.

Dump everything except the water into a huge skillet. If you don’t have a really big skillet or if your stove top doesn’t have a really large heating element for a large pan, cut the recipe in half and make a smaller batch. The heating element should span most of the bottom of the pan but not exceed the pan.

Add 2 cups of water to the pan and turn heat to high (9 on a scale of 0-9). Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer (2 on a scale of 0-9). Cover the pan. If your huge skillet didn’t come with a lid, try a flat cookie sheet. Later on, be sure to remove the lid or cookie sheet with a pot holder and crack the opening away from your face (or your guests’/children’s bodies and faces) to avoid burns.

Get set to simmer for 90 minutes (1.5 hours). Every 15 minutes, check the water level. You might need to add a little more.

Serve warm with roasted or smoked meats.