For whatever reason, I have been on a total cabbage trip lately, like how someone might crave a chocolate milkshake or a piece of cherry pie. Poor James has been suffering through multiple nights of cabbage for dinner, a food that he doesn't necessary dislike but not exactly a food that he's in love with. Let's just say he's never shared my yearning for cabbage. But he's a good sport and he puts up with me.
Sadly, we have eaten our way to the bottom of our chest freezer when it comes to pork. Apparently, half a hog doesn't stretch as far when you're eating more of a Paleo or Primal diet. So my options today were ground pork and Italian sausage, which we just had with our cabbage rolls last week. Otherwise I would have pulled out a hamsteak and made some cabbage soup (much to James' chagrin, I'm sure). At any rate, I grabbed the Italian sausage and decided to use it tonight for dinner with my last half head of cabbage. Let me also say this: that mighty head of cabbage I purchased saw us through 3 whole meals. That makes the angels of tight-wads like me rejoice pretty loudly.
I did the only thing that seemed to make sense when faced with ground meat and vegetables -- I put them in a skillet full of lard and stir-fried them up. Add a little fennel seed here, a dash of salt and pepper there. And that's it.
Sausage and Cabbage
1 lb pork sausage
2 Tbsp lard, divided
2 small or 1 large onion, sliced thin
1/2 head cabbage, shredded or sliced thin
1 bell pepper of your choice, diced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced (any mushroom variety is fine)
1/2 tsp fennel seed
salt and pepper
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking into small clumps, until evenly browned. Transfer pork to a bowl, cover and set aside.
2. Return skillet to the heat and melt 1 TBSP lard. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until browned, about 7 minutes. If skillet is dry, add the remaining lard, then add cabbage, bell pepper, mushrooms and fennel seed. Stir together thoroughly and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender and cabbage is lightly wilted.
3. Add pork back to skillet. Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Sadly, we have eaten our way to the bottom of our chest freezer when it comes to pork. Apparently, half a hog doesn't stretch as far when you're eating more of a Paleo or Primal diet. So my options today were ground pork and Italian sausage, which we just had with our cabbage rolls last week. Otherwise I would have pulled out a hamsteak and made some cabbage soup (much to James' chagrin, I'm sure). At any rate, I grabbed the Italian sausage and decided to use it tonight for dinner with my last half head of cabbage. Let me also say this: that mighty head of cabbage I purchased saw us through 3 whole meals. That makes the angels of tight-wads like me rejoice pretty loudly.
I did the only thing that seemed to make sense when faced with ground meat and vegetables -- I put them in a skillet full of lard and stir-fried them up. Add a little fennel seed here, a dash of salt and pepper there. And that's it.
Sausage and Cabbage
1 lb pork sausage
2 Tbsp lard, divided
2 small or 1 large onion, sliced thin
1/2 head cabbage, shredded or sliced thin
1 bell pepper of your choice, diced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced (any mushroom variety is fine)
1/2 tsp fennel seed
salt and pepper
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking into small clumps, until evenly browned. Transfer pork to a bowl, cover and set aside.
2. Return skillet to the heat and melt 1 TBSP lard. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until browned, about 7 minutes. If skillet is dry, add the remaining lard, then add cabbage, bell pepper, mushrooms and fennel seed. Stir together thoroughly and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender and cabbage is lightly wilted.
3. Add pork back to skillet. Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste. Serve.