Worlds Best Braised Green Cabbage Recipes

WORLD'S BEST BRAISED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F / 163°C with the rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with the olive oil or melted fat.
• Lop off the tough stem end of the cabbage and divide it into 6-8 wedges. Keep the core attached so the wedges stay intact after the long cooking time. Don't worry: The tough core will get super tender, too.
• Place the cabbage pieces in a single layer in the greased dish - a little overlap is okay. Toss on the onion and carrots and drizzle with broth and the olive oil. Season well with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using).
• Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.
• Cook the cabbage undisturbed for 1 hour. Crack open the foil cover and carefully flip the wedges over. Reseal the dish tightly and braise for another hour or until fork-tender.
• At this point, you can remove the cabbage to cool and store in the fridge until you're ready to eat it (up to 4 days). When you're ready to serve, crank the oven up to 425°F / 218°C and bake until browned (about 15 minutes).
• Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and serve.

WORLD'S BEST BRAISED GREEN CABBAGE

Steps:

• HEAT THE OVENTO TO 325 DEGREES. Lightly oil a large gratin dish or baking dish (9X13 inch works well). TRIM THE CABBAGE: Peel off and discard any bruised or ragged outer leaves from the cabbage. Then cut the cabbage into 8 wedges (so not core). Arrange the wedges in the baking dish: they may overlap some but do your best to make a single layer. THE BRAISE: Scatter in the onion and carrot. Drizzle over the oil and stock. Season with salt, pepper, and the pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil, and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage wedges with tongs after an hour. Don't worry if the wedges want to fall apart as you turn them; just do your best to keep them intact. If the dish is drying out at all, add a few tablespoons of water. THE FINISH: One the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil, increase the oven heat to 400, and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, another 15 minutes or so. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with "fleur de sel" or other coarse salt. (I sometimes add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the cabbage to enhance its sweetness before serving).