Braised Red Cabbage & Apples

This sweet and tender red cabbage is so perfect for the cool winter months. I had read this recipe back before the holidays on The Pioneer Woman's blog and added it to my list of things to make. If you haven't checked her out yet please do. She makes real food on her ranch in Oklahoma and gives excellent step by step directions all along the way. Her writing is fun and she's a bit of my hero because she left the sunshine of LA to move to a ranch in the middle of nowhere. While Toronto is not the middle of nowhere, when I'm missing my city it can feel that way!

Anyway on to the food. I made this along with the saubraten I posted a few weeks back.

Braised Red Cabbage
from The Pioneer Woman

1 medium head red cabbage
1 small onion
2 tart apples (slightly sour)
2 Tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1/2 cup red wine
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
salt & pepper
ground nutmeg
thyme

1. Finely mince a small to medium onion. No big chunks; it needs to blend in with the rest. Cut a medium red cabbage in half. Now simply cut into quarters, take out the hard stalk, and remove the tough outer leaves. Then with a very sharp knife finely shred it.
2. Measure 1/2 cup of red wine (since you're cooking with it you can just got for the cheap stuff). Add 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar to the wine. Grab a large pan with a thick bottom (I used my Le Creuset Dutch Oven) and add 2 Tbsp of butter.
3. Once the butter has melted, add the onions, a good pinch of cinnamon, the bay leaf and 2 cloves.
4. Saute the onions over low heat for about 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine mixture, add a heaping Tbsp of brown sugar (2 if you like it really sweet) and your cabbage. Stir. Bring the wine to a boil, lower the heat, put the lid on a simmer for 15 minutes.
5. While the cabbage is simmering, peel and dice the apples. After 15 minutes it's time to add the apples and thyme (I used 4 sprigs). Mix everything up, put the lid back on and cook it all for another 45 minutes over low heat.
6. To finish ad a bit of butter, salt, pepper & nutmeg to taste.

This smells delish when it's cooking and is even more delish to eat! Pure comfort food that will go fabulously with any roast, but when particularly well with the saurbraten. The boy gave it a big ole thumbs up as well. Enjoy!