Braised Red Cabbage with Apples

I wasn’t really familiar with red cabbage until my adult years.  Yes, I had enjoyed it raw in salads, but never this sweet and sour cooked version.  It’s really good and is a great accompaniment to beef or pork dishes.  The color is festive so it would be great for a Holiday dinner.  Unlike green cabbage, red cabbage takes a bit longer to cook to a tender consistency… but it’s well worth the effort and time!  I combined a few recipes that I found online, one of them being Jamie Oliver's. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 to 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red cabbage, cored and shredded (remove outer leaves)

1 onion, chopped

4 slices bacon, finely sliced

2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

1 Tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in large skillet or saucepan.  Add onion and bacon and cook for a few minutes, until onion is tender.  Stir in cabbage, apple, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir well.  Cover with lid and cook on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.  Add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Add caraway seeds if desired. You can add butter before serving for a richer version!