If you are like most people, you have some sort of New Year food tradition. For some, it is grapes, for others it’s collard greens, and for some folks it is black eyed peas. For us, it includes cabbage, black eyed peas and pork!

Cabbage is one of those love it or hate it foods for a lot of people. BUT it doesn’t have to be with one of these recipes: Southern-style cabbage with bacon and Italian-style sweet cabbage.

Both recipes are made about the same way so you don’t have to decide until later on if you can’t make up your mind!!!

Ingredients:

1 head of green cabbage, cored, sliced thin

1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin

2 Tbsp of bacon drippings or olive oil

1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

S&P to taste

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

(optional – 2 slices of diced bacon OR 1 tsp of tomato paste)

 

Preparation:

Over medium-low heat, add bacon drippings (or olive oil for Italian-style) and onion. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes**, S&P.

**Sauteing the red pepper flakes in oil/drippings will reconstitute the aroma/spice from the flakes, so add sparingly if you are sensitive to spices.

Saute onion for 5 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add cabbage and toss to coat. Cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the cabbage. Also add apple cider vinegar.

Continue to saute for about 20 minutes, until cabbage breaks down to consistency that you desire.

Add diced bacon and serve!

 

FOR ITALIAN VERSION:

Use olive oil instead of bacon drippings. Instead of adding diced bacon at the end, add tomato paste and stir until incorporated.