Cabbage, Chef Jamie Simpson says, is an either/or vegetable when it comes to culinary techniques. You’ll either want it off heat—or you go all in. This charred cabbage recipe is a house favorite at the Culinary Vegetable Institute—one where we go all in with heavy charring.
This is our cabbage on the pedestal, perfect for steak night: quartered and heavily charred on both sides, it’s sauced with an unconventional classic, Beurre Rouge. It takes twelve minutes to prep and cook and serves four.
Ingredients
For the salad
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1 head cabbage
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¼ c vegetable oil
For the Beurre Rouge
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½ bottle cabernet sauvignon
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½ lb. butter, diced
Directions
For the salad
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Quarter the head of cabbage lengthwise. In a very hot cast iron pan or grill, place the cabbage cut side down. When light charring begins to occur, gently and carefully add the oil. Allow to sear deep brown.
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Turn the head to the other cut side and remove when equal charring occurs. Season with salt and set aside.
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Reduce the heat of the pan to medium heat and allow the cabbage to soften.
For the Beurre Rouge
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In a medium saucepan, reduce the cabernet to a few tablespoons of liquid.
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Mount butter, one cube at a time, until fully incorporated. Store warm until ready to serve. If it cools down or boils, it will break.
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Season with salt.
To Assemble and Serve:
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Transfer the cabbages to four plates, cut side up.
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Spoon the sauce over the cabbages, evenly distributing all of it.
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Serve warm with a fork and knife.
Fresh Cabbage at The Chef’s Garden
At the farm, we’re growing multiple varieties of cabbage, both green and red—all of them tender, mild, juicy, and delicious.