Why Apple Cider Vinegar Is The Key To Better Braised Cabbage

Braising, the cooking method that combines searing with slowly stewing food in flavorful cooking liquid, is not just reserved for cuts of meat. It's also especially helpful for transforming hearty vegetables like cabbage into tender, flavor-packed dishes. But when making homemade braised cabbage, there's one ingredient that can seriously upgrade the cooking method: apple cider vinegar. Made from fermented apples, liquid, and sweetener, apple cider vinegar works well with braised cabbage because of the big flavor boost it provides and its balance of sweetness and acidity.

Just like adding apple cider to pot roast changes everything or balances the savory flavor of collard greens, adding apple cider vinegar when braising cabbage elevates the taste of the pan-browned and caramelized vegetable. When combined with other tart and sweet ingredients, such as dijon mustard and brown sugar, to make a braising liquid to cook the cabbage, the resulting flavor is pleasantly bright, slightly tart, and subtly sweet – the perfect complement to the earthy canvas that the vegetable provides. Since cabbage can sometimes be a bit bitter, the apple cider vinegar really helps round out the flavor and accentuate the browned notes achieved via searing and then braising in sweet liquid.

Beyond the great taste and veggie nutrition, making apple cider vinegar braised cabbage is pretty easy. It involves cutting the calciferous veggie into wedges for "steaks" or slices, searing it in oil or butter in a hot frying pan or braising dish, then adding a sauce composed of a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, sugar, condiments, and water or broth. Once the cabbage is nice and seared, adding the sweet-acidic braising liquid fully cooks, imparts flavor, and tenderizes the cabbage as it slowly braises in the pan.

While this is a classic and straightforward apple cider vinegar braised cabbage technique used by the likes of home cooks to great chefs like Jacques Pépin, you can put your own spin on the recipe. While hearty green cabbage is great for braising, you can use other cabbage types like sliced red cabbage or cauliflower wedges for the job. You can also make braised cabbage using other ingredients like sautéed onions and chopped garlic for extra taste and aromatic effect. Add meat like ground beef or bacon, if you wish. Just don't forget the apple cider vinegar to add depth of flavor in the form of the ingredient's slightly sweet acidity. In a pinch, other vinegars like white vinegar or rice vinegar can be substituted, but they won't provide quite the same balance of brightness and subtle fruity sweetness that is signature to apple cider vinegar.