Melty Braised Cabbage with Bacon and Pecans comes together in a good ole 9-by-13 and whose secret ingredient is time—two and a half hours, to be exact, rendering the cabbage ultra-melty and sweet.
Serves 4-6 as side or main
INGREDIENTS
8–10 slices thick-cut bacon (12 oz.), coarsely chopped
1 medium head green cabbage (2 lb.), cored and cut into 8 wedges
2 large carrots, trimmed, cut into ¼-in. rounds
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Coarsely chopped toasted pecans, for garnish
Finely chopped chives, for garnish
Grainy mustard, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. In a heavy-bottomed nonreactive roasting pan (see footnote) set over medium heat, fry the bacon, stirring frequently, until deep golden and crisp, 10–14 minutes. Turn off the heat, then, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl. Discard all but roughly 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
In the roasting pan, arrange the cabbage wedges cut-side down beside one another, then scatter the onion and carrot over the top, followed by the reserved bacon. Pour in the vinegar and ¼ cup of water, then season with salt and black pepper. Dot with the butter and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour, then flip the wedges and continue cooking until the cabbage is very soft, about 1 hour more.
Uncover the pan and turn the oven to 425ºF. Continue baking until the vegetables are browned at the edges, about 18 minutes more. Sprinkle with the pecans and chives and serve warm with mustard on the side.
Note: If you don’t own a large, heavy roasting pan, fry the bacon in a skillet in step 1. At the beginning of step 2, arrange the cabbage in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish, then drizzle with the reserved bacon grease and proceed with the recipe.
