Occasionally I won’t share things because I think they’re too obvious… only to have a friend say, NO, that’s not obvious. So, if this next idea is too obvious, I apologize! I’ve been cooking for one or two for a very very very long time in a variety of interesting cooking circumstances. All of this has led to really efficient meals almost by accident. Last night is a perfect example that you may wish to replicate.
First of all, the organic delivery service I use sent a GIANT head of red cabbage last week, and I’ve been enjoying it quite a bit. The outer leaves were in such great shape that I was even able to use them as “burrito wrappers” Trim down (flatten) the stem just like you do for collard wraps (click here for collard wrap recipe and how-to video), and then you have this big round wrap ready to go! People who think the flavor of raw collard is a bit too strong will want to try cabbage leaf wraps for sure. Depending on the cabbage you have, it even has a hint of sweetness. And a giant red cabbage has a really great color.
So, I made sure to carefully wash and trim the largest of the big outer cabbage leaves before figuring out what to do with the rest of the giant red cabbage. Half of it is marinating in a kind of mixture I call “refrigerator pickle” which is just red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I’ll use this as the base of raw salads, cool side dishes, and possibly wrapped up with vegetables and cooked chicken in a cabbage wrap.
The other half of the cabbage was cooked using my modifications on an old school German recipe from one of the Dr. Oetker books (any of my friends who grew up in Germany will totally recognize that name as I am sure their Mom had at least one of these cookbooks… it’s like German Betty Crocker).
Here’s how you can make it, and if you make a lot of it, it apparently can be frozen to great effect. I usually make enough for 2-4 meals and just keep it in the refrigerator to be reheated in the special efficient meal way that was the whole inspiration of this post. Click here for my version of the Dr. Oetker traditional red cabbage recipe. I removed the sugar and jam, and updated a few of the ingredients to reflect what I usually have in the pantry.
As usual I seared three very high quality lamb loin chops (any high quality grass fed red meat will work in this example – of course your favorite chop or steak) in my large, well seasoned cast iron skillet. If I am going to use this method, I will only season the meat very VERY simply with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Save the blackened Cajun mix for another night HAHAHA! I generally just do a hard sear on all sides (including the side-sides… where there’s that nice layer of fat… this is important for the cabbage later), and may let it sit on the flat sides a little longer… but not too long as I tend to eat lamb medium rare to rare. Others may wish to cook whatever the chosen red meat (or pork would also work) a little longer, or to toss the skillet into the over to finish after the sear. When you are finished cooking the meat, set it aside, or on the warm plates for just a moment while you……
Put the made-ahead cooked red cabbage into the hot pan, right on top of those meat bits and crispiness which may be in the pan left from the meat. Stir gently with tongs, and be sure that you’re picking up all the leftover flavors from the meat, juices, and the leftover fats (this is a very good way to take full advantage of higher priced grassfed meats by the way). If there was excessive fat in the pan, you can drain a little out before using the hot pan to reheat the cabbage. Anyway, when the cabbage is piping hot, place it on the plate next to the meat and you’re done. By the way, you’ve just completed the worst step in cleaning your cast iron pan while reheating the cabbage. Now, only a quick rinse and thin layer of oil is needed to clean up. Oh and wash the tongs. I use this same reheating with a “dirty meat cooking pan” method with leftover cooked cauliflower, broccoli, etc. The cabbage example brought its own juices and seasoning, but you may need to add a little water and seasoning if the vegetables to reheat are plain.
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