Ode to Cabbage


(Windmill Tilter) #1

I’ve been keto almost a year now, and I’ve just now discovered the virtues of the humble cabbage. :heart_eyes: Among it’s virtues:

  1. Dirt cheap (40 cents a pound)
  2. Low carb/oz
  3. Amazing fat sponge abilities!

I’ve switched from 80/20 beef to 73% beef recently to up my fat intake. The challenge this presents is that my 3lb chub of hamburger has nearly a pint of fat. It’s a bit like eating fat soup (the idea of draining/discarding hamburger fat while on “keto” has always seemed crazy to me). Enter the humble cabbage.

When you chop up a 4lb cabbage and mix it in with 3 lbs of ground beef, the cabbage sopped up all the fat like I couldn’t believe. No more soup! The depth of flavor it adds is phenomenal. Toss an onion and a green pepper in there and you’ve got 4 servings at 1084kcal with 75% of the calories coming from fat. Perfect!

Polish food makes perfect sense to me now, and I can’t wait to find some real recipes! Any ideas?


(Ken) #2

I just made both Sauerkraut and Kimchi yesterday. If you think cabbage goes well with fat, try Sauerkraut, especially with pork. Kimchi, besides being good by itself, can be used as a flavoring agent in about anything you want.to add a little kick to.


(Bob M) #3

I think we use this recipe, though we just use Taco seasoning (locally bought, no thickeners, but does have some sugar):

We don’t serve with the green salad, though. We also cut down the butter (I know, that’s heresy, but it’s a lot of butter). We also double the recipe and put it in our largest casserole dish.

This looks similar:


(Jane Srygley) #4

I can finally eat cabbage thanks to my Beano discovery (my body doesn’t make the necessary enzyme) so thanks for all of this!!!


(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #5

Cook 180g bacon in the oven. slice up 3 or so leaves of cabbage while it is cooking. Throw on a generous amount of pepper and maybe some lite salt if you feel like adding some potassium. When the bacon is done, drain the pan onto the cabbage. While that is cooking a bit chop up the bacon. When you think the cabbage is almost done, throw in the bacon.

Best. Comfort. Food. Ever.

Mac’n’cheese ain’t got nothin’ on this.


#6

When I was eating vegetables, I was so sad that I couldn’t digest cabbage because there were a lot of great recipes with cabbage. But my digestive track wanted to murder me when I ate it! :frowning:


(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #7

Honestly, the only downside I can see to bacon’n’cabbage is that I can’t save the leftover fat. I feel like the cabbage juice mixed in would probably hasten the racidness of the bacon fat, so I don’t filter it into my bacon fat container. If anyone has anything reassuring to say about reclaiming used bacon fat, I would love to hear it.


(Windmill Tilter) #8

That’s a great idea! I really love sauerkraut, and I especially love the real stuff (fermented). From what I’ve read it’s a super healthy way to keep the old gut biome and immune system running well. The real stuff is crazy expensive around here though, $8.00 a quart!

I guess I’ve got some google-fu to learn about making it. My guess is the kids will love the project and the wife will hate it… :yum:

Is it hard to do? How long does it usually take to ferment the finished product?


(Windmill Tilter) #9

Yes please. :yum:

This one is going straight to the weekly menu… :+1::+1::+1:


(Bob M) #10

For me, cabbage seems OK. I seem to be able to eat cooked cabbage with no problems and even eat raw. Raw sauerkraut does not seem OK. Oddly, cooked sauerkraut is OK. Zoodles from zucchini are bad. Bell peppers, these seem OK if they’re really cooked.

It’s weird that some plants (and their preparation methods) cause issues while others don’t. Of course, the cabbage could cause issues that I do not know about.


#11

it is so weird! Zoodles were another thing that bothered me. Cauliflower I seem to be ok with, which is bad because it is hard not to taste the cauliflower mac and cheese I make for my hubby… lol… I make it REALLY GOOD!!


(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #12

Sauerkraut is so super easy even I can make it. Google will show you the way.

It is eatable in a few days, but better sauerkraut awaits those with patience to wait longer. I live in the subtropics, so I am “forced” to eat it faster in the summer heat.


(Bob M) #13

My wife made some cauli mac and cheese that was great. I told her not to make it much, though, because I overate it. Of course, our kids were like “What is that? That’s not real mac and cheese!”

Cauliflower is another thing that doesn’t seem to cause me issues, at least the way we make it.


(Ken) #14

I usually make Green Cabbage Kimchi, it tastes good and is easy. A few tips: Use canning/pickling salt. Soak the cabbage initially for no more than 1.5 hours, any more makes it too salty. Buy real Korean Red Pepper powder. There is no substitute. Besides fish Sauce, get some additional seafood paste, like Shrimp paste.

Use fresh garlic and fresh onion. All the other veggies are optional.

After the salt water soak and rinse you mix the paste into the cabbage. Use a cheap disposable plastic glove, like for food service. Pack it into whatever jar you want, pounding it in with a kraut pounder. By the time the jar is full it should have created its own juice. I like to ferment for three days before refrigerating.


(FRANK) #15

Fried cabbage is out of this world. Been eating it since I was a kid. Cabbage gets sweet and tender and provides a great “base” for keto casserole dishes. My mother used to make fried cabbage w/ noodles - very Eastern European. I now just ditch the noodles.


(Ken) #16

Another cabbage dish my Grandmother used to make is “Hot Slaw”. Chop and fry 1/4 lb. Bacon. Add 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 2-3 tbsp of sweetener. A couple of spoonfuls of a tomato product is recommended, but optional. Fill frying pan with chopped cabbage, cover, and reduce heat to Medium Low. Stir occasionally. When cabbage is cooked down and very limp it is done.


(Windmill Tilter) #17

You had me at bacon. This one is going on the menu too. I think this would be pretty good topped with pulled pork. I still have about 10lbs in the freezer that I smoked earlier this fall. :grinning:


(FRANK) #18

I actually use bacon grease to fry my cabbage like Ken. Fry med heat and don’t rush. Lots of fresh ground pepper when done.


#19

My favorite cabbage recipe:

Microwaved Cabbage Alfredo

  • Slice up 3 to 4 cups of cabbage, about the width of fettuccine noodles
  • Add some sliced onions, about the same width slices as the cabbage.
  • Top with butter and spices (smoked paprika, ginger, hot curry powder, …)
  • Microwave until soft, about 5 minutes. It will reduce to about a cup or so.
  • Mix with some Alfredo sauce
  • Top with meats/cheeses (poached eggs on top are the best!)

(Rebecca ) #20

We just had cabbage in bacon grease for dinner Saturday!!! Mmmm…:yum: