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If you want to know how to cook cabbage with smoked meat, you should probably stick around until the end of this article.
Because below, I’m going to show you how to prepare it in ONLY 9 simple steps. I know there’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration from other people’s recipes.
But every now and then, you’ll come across something that seems too good to be true. Like in this case: ‘Cabbage and smoked meat’ does sound a bit trickery. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that it pairs miraculously well.
Don’t worry; after cooking this recipe, you will thank me later!
How To Cook Cabbage With Smoked Meat
What You’ll Need For This Recipe (Ingredients and Measures)
- Cabbage: This is one of the main ingredients for this dish. It is advisable to use mainly the outer leaves to give the meal a crisp-tender texture
- Meat: This is another very important ingredient. Smoked beef, pork, and turkey are most commonly used, but chicken can also do the trick
- Sugar: Sugar adds a sweet taste to the meal
- Green Pepper: Green pepper and a spicy flavor to your meal
- Salt: This is used to season the meat and cabbage
- Jalapeno Pepper: This is a special type of pepper. It is used to give the meal an extra spicy taste
- Onions: This vital ingredient gives a good taste and completes the meal
- Bacon: Bacon is cut and cooked with cabbage to improve its taste
See Also: How To Keep Hot Chocolate Warm Outside
How To Cook Cabbage and Smoked Meat Recipe
Step 1
Slice your bacon to an appropriate size. Slice the onions precisely. Also, chop the green pepper and the jalapeño pepper.
Make sure you slice your cabbage(ensure to remove the petiole while slicing the cabbage).
Step 2
Set smoked meat in a stainless steel pot and cover with water about 1¼ inches above the meat.
Add a little salt here and cook until it’s tender.
Step 3
Place your pot on heat, put the bacon inside the pot, and allow it to release its fat.
Add your finely chopped onions to the bacon and stir. Allow it to boil for 5-6mins.
Step 4
Take out some of the mixtures to a separate bowl. Then add some sliced cabbage into the pot (reserve a little).
Step 5
Add some of the sliced green pepper and jalapeño pepper to the pot. Make sure you don add water yet.
Step 6
Put some of the reserved cabbage and the bacon into the pot. Add a little sugar and stir.
Step 7
Add water from the boiled meat and stir continuously.
Step 8
Carefully remove the smoked meat and add it to the cooking pot. Stir the whole mixture evenly. Allow cooking for an hour.
Step 9
Remove the pot from heat and serve warm as a side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can You Preserve Your Cabbage?
Cabbage is an adorable vegetable for its tendency to serve many purposes.
Even though the cabbage can last long, it is still perishable. It will spoil sometime, and it is not easy to notice when it goes wrong.
Nevertheless, the good news is it has long shelf life compared to other fruits and vegetables, but there is a better way to extend the shelf life further.
If the cabbage is intact, i.e., before slicing, you must avoid washing it before storing it(usually in a cool, dry place).
Whereas if after slicing your cabbage you decide to store it for future use, then you will put it into the fridge (make sure it is tightly wrapped) because any cell damage makes the cabbage go by more quickly and reduce its vitamin C content.
Lastly, if it is properly stored, it can last from 3weeks to up to 2months in your refrigerator.
How To Cook Cabbage Without The Smell?
Cabbage is one of the most nutritious and healthy vegetables that exist. They have many vitamins, minerals, fibers, and fatty acids.
While cooking it in the kitchen, you can use it in diverse ways depending on how you want your dish to look.
But the most significant limitation to this vegetable is the smell it gives off as it cooks, causing our meal to have an offensive aroma when served.
There is good news, though, because there are several techniques to ensure that our cabbage is prepared without the smell.
One major way to avoid this smell is to add a few bay leaves, a tablespoon of white vinegar, or milk to the boiling water. You can also use a potato.
A mixture of bay leaves, potato, vinegar, or milk can work perfectly to eradicate the smell.
How Can You Know If The Cabbage Is Bad?
As we said before, cabbages can last long, unlike other vegetables but will undoubtedly spoil over a long period, and it may be difficult to notice this change when the cabbage gets spoilt.
Here are three main methods to evaluate your cabbage and monitor if it is still fresh.
Smell
This is probably the easiest way to observe if our cabbage is still fresh and suitable for usage.
Fresh cabbage does have its interesting smell, but spoilt cabbage will smell like ammonia.
Texture
This is another crucial factor that will evaluate the freshness of the cabbage.
Like other vegetables, cabbage gets soft and wet when it gets bad. Mere looking at the cabbage will give you an idea of whether you can use it or not.
Cut cabbage will appear grey-black along the edges.
In most cases, you will have to discard the entire cabbage, but if the color change is only at the surface, you can discard the surface and then use the inner part.
Taste
This is the last on the list and has to do with the cabbage taste.
If the cabbage tastes nice, that is still useful; however, if it tastes bad, there should be no point using it other than throwing it.
Why Does My Cabbage Taste Bitter?
We all like cabbage salad or cooked cabbage, but sometimes it can have a bitter taste which can be unpleasant for consumption.
Most times, we associate bitter tastes with things that are not safe to eat that doesn’t mean that everything that tastes bitter is terrible.
Cabbage tastes bitter sometimes due to its organic sulfur-containing Compounds.
These compounds also have a particular sulfur-like odor which is one of the reasons why cabbage cause gas.
The compounds will release their bitterness only when the cabbage is cut and become more prominent over time.
Conclusion
Although there are many recipes for cabbages out there, this Cabbage and smoked meat recipe is undoubtedly the best.
It has an excellent presentation and a mouth-watering flavor.
This specially prepared dish is also really nutritious.
Unlike other meal that is flat out, this fantastic green meal is a good source of Protein, Riboflavin, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, and a good source of iron and potassium.
So stand up today and prepare that yummy and nutritious cabbage your family will thank you for!
