Cabbage Casserole with Pork

What a terrific recipe this is! I love cabbage in every form - whether marinated as a German Sauerkraut Slaw with Sweet Vinaigrette, steamed plain, or baked in a casserole. Not only is cabbage a good source of Vitamin C, but it’s low in calories - this wonderful casserole being a fine example of that. Imagine the delectable fragrance and taste of bacon, cabbage, and pork, and you’ll have some idea how terrific this casserole is! 

Similar to cabbage rolls in taste, the dish binds the meat within it with chopped cabbage, rather than rice. Use the full amount of pepper and caraway seeds for which the recipe calls: The pepper’s sharp taste and the mildness of the cabbage stand in pleasing contrast to one another. I give this easy-to-make casserole top marks! By the way, if you’re wondering why my kitchen looks so different in the photos below, I took them during our recent vacation getaway.

Cabbage Casserole with Pork:

1 small head green cabbage, about 1 lb.

2 tbsp. canola oil, divided

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

1 lb. (454 g) ground pork, fried and drained of fat

1 tsp. caraway seeds

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. fine black pepper

½ c. dry white wine

3 strips bacon, uncooked and thickly sliced (see Note)

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Bring large pot of water to the boil, immediately reducing heat to simmer.

Halve cabbage, cutting away tough core. Cook in simmering water 10 min. Remove from pot, draining and carefully pulling away 10 or 12 large outer leaves and any tough stems bisecting leaf centres.   Oil-spray 2 qt. (2 L) ovenproof casserole dish, lining with half of cabbage leaves. Set remainder of cabbage leaves aside. Finely chop remainder of cabbage, also setting aside.

Heat 1 tbsp. canola oil in pot previously used to cook cabbage. Add onions, reserved chopped cabbage, and ground pork, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper all at once, turning often and frying until pork cubes loses all pink. Quickly stir in wine and remaining oil, heating through. Spoon pork-cabbage mixture into spray-greased casserole lined with cabbage leaves. Lay reserved leaves over mixture, tucking in any cabbage edges that overlap dish. Place bacon strips down centre of cabbage-covered casserole. Bake 45 min. Serves 6.

Note: Or cut 6 strips thinly sliced bacon in half crosswise, laying one halved strip over a second one.

One More Note: Grandma’s Cabbage Rolls and My Favorite Cabbage Rolls are also excellent!

You’ll need your largest pot.

And a splash of dry white wine.

With couple of chopped onions.

Set whole, cooked cabbage leaves aside; chop the rest.

Sauté onion and cubed pork until meat loses its pink color.

Add chopped, cooked cabbage to pork and onion.

Line spray-greased casserole with half 

cooked cabbage leaves.

Spoon in meat mixture.

This smells heavenly!

Top mixture with remaining cooked cabbage leaves ...

And bacon.

Bake 45 min. in moderate oven.

Here’s to hearty, healthy, down-home cooking! Serves 6.