October had me thinking Oktoberfest and playing with wiener schnitzel recipes. Who doesn’t love a nice Viennese cutlet? On the boat, I was using veal cutlets and I also did a chicken version in New Orleans that went just as well with the sides. Topping the meat was a squeeze of fresh lemon and a saute of mushrooms. I made pasta with brown butter, grated manchego and crushed red pepper and to cut the zingy flavors, I braised red cabbage. The cabbage has been a hit and it is a really simple. Plus, it brightens up the plate!
Start with a big firm head of red cabbage. One large head will serve 6 people comfortably. I like to chop the cabbage in 1/2 inch strips about 3 inches long.
1 med. onion – diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, fine chop
kosher salt
white pepper
black pepper
white wine and red wine
apple cider vinegar
touch of sugar and or honey as needed
butter and oil
Heat a 4 or 6 quart pot and add equal parts butter and oil – start with 2 T of each. Add chopped garlic and onion and saute on med-high heat until carmelizing starts. Splash in a good 1/2 a cup each of red and white wine. Reduce a few minutes and add the cabbage. Stir to work oils thru the cabbage and reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepepr to taste. After about 30 minutes or so, splash in some cider vinegar.
The rest is up to you….if you want a bit of a sweet and sour, add a touch of honey and sugar(I think this works best with the cutlets and pasta). Work it to taste adding a touch of wine, vinegar, a touch more butter……whatever your palate or the dish needs!
