Bear Paw Meanderings

It is recipe time once again. Here are three ways to make steamed cabbage. All three turn the cabbage into a very different food than the others. One or more just may be hits around your house.

First, my mother’s recipe. It is very simple. She was a simple but good cook. This recipe makes for a very traditional and might I say pure steamed cabbage.

Core out a medium cabbage and cut it into very fine shreds. Take a medium onion and dice it using a medium to large dice.

Put a quarter of a cup of butter or margarine in a heavy frying pan. Sauté the onion in the butter. After the onion is soft and brown add the cabbage, a tad of water, salt, pepper and most importantly a good dollop of sugar. Turn the stove to low and let this mixture simmer for about twenty minutes or until the cabbage is bright green and completely soft. Serve immediately.

One variation to this way of steaming cabbage I found this year in a book about meals for St. Patrick’s Day started out with a medium cabbage, cored and cut into very thin shreds, just like the first recipe.

In this recipe you start with four slices of bacon cut into bite sized pieces. Cook that in your heavy frying pan first. When the bacon is brown and getting brittle, add your diced onion and let the onion simmer away in the bacon grease. After the onion has softened add the cabbage and a bottle of your favorite beer to the mixture. I used Wheatfish and it was very good. Salt and pepper and let that mixture simmer until the beer cooks out almost completely. Serve then for a taste that is very different and yes, would go well with St. Patrick’s Day.

Third is called “Fortified Cabbage”. Start with cooking four slices of bacon cut into bite sized pieces. When rendered, take the bacon out and reserve it. In the bacon grease cook your same onion. When that has softened, add the cabbage and let it simmer until soft and bright green. Stir frequently and make sure the pan is not too hot Salt and pepper liberally and let the cabbage soak in the bacon fat. When the mess is done, add can of cream of mushroom soup and the reserved bacon bites.

Maybe the third one is my favorite but I like all three.

Bon Appétit!