Beer Braised Cabbage
Ingredients
1 whole cabbage, any kind works
1/4 cup neutral oil
4 shallots
2 cloves garlic
12 oz beer (one you enjoy drinking, preferably not a very bitter beer or a light beer)
2 Tbsp malt vinegar
2 Tbsp dijon
salt and pepper
Directions
In a small pot, heat the oil to medium high heat. Meanwhile, use a mandolin to shave 3 of the shallots. The thickness should be that of two credit cards pressed together (that's a Kenji tip!)
Set up a plate double lined with paper towels and a glass bowl large enough for the oil with a strainer over the top. Test the temperature of the oil with a wooden utensil to see if it bubbles, and if so, carefully add the shallots.
WATCH THE SHALLOTS and stir occassionally, being watchul of the splatting the shallots like to do. They'll go from white, to tan, to burnt quickly. They bubble agressively at first, but you'll know they're close when the bubbles weaken. Pull them when they're tan with crisping edges, and opt to pull too quickly rather than too late.
Pour the oil over the strainer. Immediately drop the shallots onto the paper towels and spread them out. Salt them and dab with the a papertowel. They'll crisp as they cool.
Put a few tablespoons of the shallot oil into a heavy bottomed dutch oven on medium high heat. Preheat the oven to 400°F. *Store the rest of the oil in the fridge as toss after 4 days. *
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, wash it, and cut it in quarters through the core, leaving it in. When the oil in the dutch oven is hot, add the cabbage wedges and sear about 3-4 minutes on each side until charred. Move them to a separate plate.
Dice the remaining shallot and add to the pot. Once softened, add diced garlic and cook another minute.
Add the beer to the pot, let simmer and reduce a few minutes. Stir in the malt vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, and return the cabbage.
Move the dutch oven into the oven, uncovered, and let cook 10-12 minutes before flipping and cooking another 10. Remove from oven and let cool.
To serve, line the wedges on a rimmed plate. Pour the sauce over the top, and garnish each wedge with the fried shallot.
