Red Wine Braised Cabbage

   This tasty little side is one of those recipes that has been in my repertoire for a long time and don't think I'm ever going to stop making it. I learned how to make it at the first restaurant I ever work at and I still use it today. I'm a big fan of cabbage in all it's guises - coleslaw, sauerkraut & braised - and this is one of my favorite ways to cook it. Cabbage works best when served sweet & sour and this recipe gets those flavours from red wine vinegar and a healthy dose of raw cane sugar.

    The sweet and sour favour of this side goes really well with pork. I'll be posting a recipe next week for ginger-honey glazed pork belly that goes perfectly with this red wine braised cabbage. It also goes really well with pork chops or ribs. It even works as a side dish for Asian inspired dishes like sesame beef.

     This recipe is pretty simple to pull of. You just put the ingredients all together in a pot and let it simmer together until the cabbage if soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. You will have to stir it a couple of times and keep a relatively close eye on it to make sure it doesn't get dry and burn. If the pot starts getting to dry before you think it's ready, just add a bit of water to the pot.

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Makes 6 sides

Ingredients:

4 cups red cabbage (1 small head), shredded

1 cup raw cane sugar

2 cups red wine

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1. Combine all the ingredients in one pot, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

2. Let simmer until the cabbage is soft and most of the liquid has evaporate, about 15 to 20 minutes. If the mix starts to dry out before, add a bit of water, a 1/2 cup at a time.

This recipe can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.