Braised Cabbage with Country-Style Pork Ribs

Serves 4

This is another great cabbage recipe, reminiscent of the old days. My mother said that my grandmother often cooked cabbage with ham, which you can certainly use in this recipe. But fresh pork was the second choice, and I prefer it. Although it takes some time to slow cook, the recipe is very easy and absolutely delicious. As I often say in my Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, my grandmother did not use herbs very often other than parsley, probably because they were not available at the time. Therefore, if you want a completely authentic dish, you can omit the thyme and marjoram in this recipe. Caraway seeds, however, are common in German cabbage dishes. Additionally, the old folk always used apple cider vinegar.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds pork country-style ribs, preferably bone-in
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
• Water to almost cover pork
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 large head cabbage, quartered and cut into about 1-inch wedges
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, more if desired

Season ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the pork, cooking until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add the water and about one-half of the onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Add the cabbage, remaining onions, thyme, marjoram, caraway seeds, vinegar, additional salt and pepper. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat again, and simmer until pork and cabbage are very tender, about another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the meat from the pot and cut into small pieces, discarding the bones. Meanwhile, if the cabbage has too much liquid, bring back to a boil and reduce as desired. Return the pork to the pot and serve, passing additional vinegar if desired.