Sous Vide Braised Red Cabbage

One of the first posts I wrote for Cooking-4-One was a recipe for Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage, a delicious side that I enjoy regularly. Given my recent sous vide experiments with vegetables and grains, I searched to see what it would take to make this dish using my immersion circulator. Well, I found the information I desired and the results I saw looked delicious. The one recipe that I based mine on comes from Kate Williams. Of course, I tweaked it slightly for my own tastes tonight. I substituted apple cider vinegar and bacon for the balsamic vinegar and currants. The results were amazing. The cabbage and carrots were bright and tender crisp with a hint of smoky bacon flavor, a subtle sweet and saltiness along with a slight twang from the vinegar. This braised cabbage is a winner! I am loving this ‘set it and come back later’ type of cooking so I can accomplish other tasks. Give it a try, you will be amazed too!

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Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 2 hours 5 mins

Total time: 2 hours 15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

12 oz red cabbage, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces (approximately ½ small head)
2 oz carrot, julienned (approximately 1 medium carrot)
2 oz yellow onion, diced (approximately ½ small onion)
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 - 3 oz thick bacon, cut into ¼ to ½ inch strips
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp butter

Instructions

Heat the water bath to 183 degrees F.
In a small pan over Medium heat, add the bacon and cook approximately 3 - 5 minutes.
When the bacon is slightly browned around the edges and the fat has been rendered, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly, 2 - 3 minutes.
While waiting for the bacon to cool, combine the cabbage, onion, garlic and carrot in a large bowl.
When the bacon has slightly cooled, add the bacon and drippings to the bowl.
Add the apple cider vinegar and a heavy pinch of salt and few grinds of pepper.
Stir to distribute the ingredients.
Prepare a bag with weights (I used teaspoons in the bottom) and add the cabbage mixture.
Vacuum seal the bag and place into the water bath for 2 hours.
After the 2 hour soak, remove the bag and dry the outside.
CAUTION it will be hot!
Open the bag and empty the contents into a bowl and toss lightly with remaining vinegar, sugar, and butter.
Serve hot with German sausages, breaded cutlets (schnitzel), pork roast (schweinebraten), etc.

Notes

This recipe has many adaptations - using balsamic vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, adding currants and/or diced green apple, skipping the bacon and butter for Lent, etc.

Heat the water bath to 183 degrees F. In a small pan over Medium heat, add the bacon and cook approximately 3 – 5 minutes.

When the bacon is slightly browned around the edges and the fat has been rendered, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly, 2 – 3 minutes.

While waiting for the bacon to cool, combine the cabbage, onion, garlic and carrot in a large bowl. When the bacon has slightly cooled, add the bacon and drippings to the bowl. Add the apple cider vinegar and a heavy pinch of salt and few grinds of pepper. Stir to distribute the ingredients. Prepare a bag with weights (I used teaspoons in the bottom) and add the cabbage mixture.

Vacuum seal the bag and place into the water bath for 2 hours. After the 2 hour soak, remove the bag and dry the outside. CAUTION it will be hot! Open the bag and empty the contents into a bowl and toss lightly with remaining vinegar, sugar, and butter.