Melt butter in a large pot; add cabbage, apple slices, and peppercorns. Add bay leaf and salt and/or pepper to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, and sugar; stir well. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Will cook down quite a bit. Taste and adjust seasonings. May need more sugar or vinegar.
Can be made the day before and reheated. I think it tastes better the second day. Serves 4 to 6.
By xintexas from San Antonio, TX
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Thank you. I did forget to add a chopped onion to the recipe but it would be just as good without it too. I guess I had a senior moment when I submitted the recipe. LOL
I think varieties of the same food are fun. I, too, have been making red cabbage, probably for 40+ years, both for Thanksgiving and Christmas, bringing my German heritage to the table (that's about the only carry-over from my Germanic background). However, I prefer it more flavorful, using my old German recipe:
1 med. shredded red cabbage (2-1/2 to 3#--throw out the tough white parts)
2 lg. apples (peeled and chopped--the smaller they're chopped, the sooner they become invisible)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/8 t. (or less) ground cloves (my addition)
Interestingly, that just about duplicates a Milwaukee German restaurant's recipe, except they add 1 cup dry red wine. Not being a drinker, and not wanting the rest of the wine to go to waste, I eliminate that, but I'm sure it would enhance the flavor even more. (Some recipes add finely chopped onion.)
I just throw everything into the pot at once, bring to a boil, then put on lower heat and cook it 3/4 hr., or until the cabbage is tender. If there is an abundance of liquid, I stir in a teaspoon or more of flour at the very end of cooking just to thicken it up a bit. Like Miss Bonnie, I cook this "by taste." If it needs more sweet I add sugar, if it needs more sour I add vinegar. Yes, it's better made 1 or 2 days early. It is so easy and so good! My Italian son-in-law and his brothers love it!
Thank you for both recipes. Happy Thanksgiving to my American neighbors!
I always serve red cabbage at Thanksgiving, the same as my mother did. It's amazing how eventually even the younger grandchildren will try it.
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