Last week I was "spring-cleaning" my freezer - you know, going through the mystery packages that have been in there forever, tossing the unidentifiable items, and planning meals around items that should be used before they become unidentifiable. And that's how I came up with "Gibbs Bratwurst & Cabbage Surprise. " I put the frozen brats in the fridge to thaw, then scoured the internet for recipes - and I mixed and matched ideas for the end result:
Ingredients:
1 package Johnsonville Bratwurst
2 medium onions - chopped
4 stalks celery - chopped
5 garlic cloves - chopped
beef stock
salt, pepper and other seasonings
divulged in the discussion below).
red wine vinegar
1 smallish head red cabbage
I'm going to tell you how I prepared this, and then I'm going to tell you what I would do differently when I make Gibb's Bratwurst & Cabbage Surprise again.
Poke the casings of the brats with a fork - like you would a potato for baking - to keep it from "exploding" while it cooks. In my favorite dutch oven I browned the brats on all sides in a bit of oil; remove the brats to a paper towel.
In the oil still in the dutch oven, combined with a pat of butter, sautee chopped onions, celery and garlic.
Here's where I got "creative" with my spices - I added a couple pinches of dry mustard powder, a couple of generous pinches of red chili pepper flakes, a dash of curry powder, and a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. None of these are essential, but I thought they added a nice flavor. Feel free to alter to suit your own taste.
Cut the cabbage into 4 quarters. Remove the center heart (the thick white stem) and the large exterior leaves. Then thinly slice the quarters - I used only 3 quarters of my small to medium cabbage. Add the sliced cabbage to the sauteed veggies and mix well.
Nestle the brats on the bottom of the dutch oven, underneath the cabbage-veggie mix, then pour in enough beef broth to half-way cover the mix. Bring the broth to a boil, cover, and transfer your dutch oven to a pre-heated 225 degree oven.
I planned on a slow-cook at a low temp, so we took the bus to the MOLO for Saturday afternoon Happy Hour with Mark.
My concoction stayed in the oven for approximately 4 1/2 hours. Upon returning home, I scooped the brats out to a plate, used a slotted spoon to drain the cooked cabbage, arranged a bed of cabbage in a bowl, topped with Brats, and served with a Jalapena Cheese bread - lightly buttered and broiled.
WHAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY: One recipe I borrowed from suggested that once the broth was added, just bring it to a simmer, cover, and continue to cook on the stovetop at low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until the cabbage had the desired consistency. I would probably try this method, because the cabbage was a bit on the "mushy" side under my method.
This meal probably won't make any Top 1o Lists, but it was still yummy, and the flavor and texture of the brats was wonderfully delicious.
It's Memorial Day weekend, known to us "old folks" as Decoration Day weekend. You gather with the family, go to Grandma's house, cut fresh flowers, then go to the cemetery to decorate the graves of all our dearly departed, whether they died in a war or some other way. It's been a family tradition for us, and who has time to cook? That's why a Strata comes in handy - it's easy to put together the night before for a quick cook in the morning, and can be served before your Memorial Day activities for energy to decorate graves, go to a barbecue, see an art museum exhibit, or whatever else might be on your agenda.
