World's Best Braised Cabbage

4 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (melted lard, duck fat, ghee, or coconut oil )
• 1 medium green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
• 1 large red onion (or yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced)
• 2 large carrots (peeled and cut in ¼-inch coins)
• ¼ cup bone broth (or vegetable broth)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (Melted lard, duck fat, ghee, or coconut oil also work.)
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Heat oven to 325°F / 163°C with the rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted fat.
2. Lop off the tough stem end of the cabbage and divide it into 6-8 wedges. Keep the core attached so the wedges stay intact after the long cooking time. Don’t worry: The tough core will get super tender, too.
3. Place the cabbage pieces in a single layer in the greased dish – a little overlap is okay. Toss on the onion and carrots and drizzle with broth and ¼ cup of olive oil. Season well with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using).
4. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.
5. Cook the cabbage undisturbed for 1 hour. Crack open the foil cover and carefully flip the wedges over. Reseal the dish tightly and braise for another hour or until fork-tender.
6. At this point, you can remove the cabbage to cool and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it (up to 4 days). When you’re ready to serve, crank the oven up to 425°F / 218°C and bake until browned (about 15 minutes).
7. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and serve.