Sauteed Red Cabbage

The first time I realized how tasty red cabbage is, was at Houston's.  At the recommendation of my sister-in-law, I ordered it as a side.  And it was GOOD.  They serve theirs with goat cheese.  (Everything is better with goat cheese.)

I've ordered it here and there since then.  But ever since lunch at South of Beale, I've been slightly obsessed with trying a red cabbage recipe at home.  It can't be that hard, right?  Well, lemmetellya, i's a lot harder without the main ingredient.  I've been scoping out recipes but didn't actually see the red cabbage in the grocery store...  Until  now.

I decided to go with Rachael Ray's sauteed red cabbage recipe. I really wanted to braise it - I'm pretty sure that Houston's was braised - but since I was making it after work, time didn't really allow.

 I cooked it a little lower and slower than called for.  (I wanted to avoid the South of Beale crisper bite.)  Subbed dry mustard instead of mustard seed.  And it.  Was.  GOOD.

We had it - well, I had it - with  a lovely bacon-wrapped steak filet from Charlie's.  (Which I cooked perfectly.  For once!  Medium on the cast iron and finished it off in the oven.  It was a small miracle because I caught my meat thermometer on fire under the broiler.  Dang it.)  But the red cabbage was the real star. 

Look what I can do!

There's always something I can nitpick when I cook.  It's a little too done, a little too salty, etc...  This meal, if I do say so myself, was pretty good.

And once again, I am surprised that I like cabbage so much.  Perhaps there is still hope for brussel sprouts?

Rachael Ray's Sauteed Red Cabbage recipe
INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/2 red cabbage, shredded
• 1/3 cup white or apple cider vinegar, eyeball it
• 2 rounded tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and onion and saute 2 minutes. Add cabbage and turn in pan, sauteing it until it wilts, 3 to 5 minutes. 
2. Add vinegar to the pan and turn the cabbage in it. Sprinkle sugar over the cabbage and turn again. Season with mustard seed, salt and pepper and reduce heat a bit. 
3. Let cabbage continue to cook 10 minutes or until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.