Our southern cabbage recipe has a ton of meaty, salty flavor. It's ready in less than 30 minutes and pairs well with comfort food staples like pork chops or fried chicken.
Ingredients
4 bacon strips, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 cups chopped cabbage
1/4 cup water
Instructions
1Crisp the bacon
2Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook it until it's crisp, about seven to eight minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and discard the rest. Editor's Tip: Don't be afraid to let your bacon get crispy! It should be deep golden brown and just on the verge of making you nervous that it will burn. This adds flavor and ensures it won't get soggy too fast once mixed with the fried cabbage. (Psst: There are a lot of things you can do with leftover bacon grease; no need to toss it.)
3Cook the onion
4Add the onion to the pan and cook it for four to five minutes or until it's soft. Stir in the sugar, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper. Editor's Tip: We prefer this recipe with 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, but start with 1/8 teaspoon and season to your preferred spice level. The same goes for the sugar and black pepper. It's important to season to your taste.
5Add the cabbage and water. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Transfer it to a serving dish and top it with cooked bacon. Editor's Tip: If you're making this dish ahead, leave the final flourish of bacon out until right before serving so it stays crisp.
