Sweet And Sour Cabbage And Bread Stew Recipes

GRANDMA ELAINE'S UNSTUFFED SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place the vegetable oil into a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the sliced onions, and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, using a spoon to slightly chop the whole tomatoes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir the cabbage into the tomatoes. Cover, and simmer 1 hour until the cabbage is tender and mixes easily with the tomatoes.
• Place the ground beef, eggs, finely chopped onion, rice, water, additional 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix together with hands until thoroughly blended. Add additional rice if mixture is too moist. Form into golf ball-sized meatballs. Place meatballs on a plate, and refrigerate 20 minutes to firm.
• Place meatballs on the surface of the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Gently stir the meatballs into the tomato mixture. Cover the pot and continue to simmer 45 minutes more. Stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning, adding additional lemon juice if required. Stir in the raisins, and honey. Add the brown sugar, a little at a time, tasting after each addition. Cook mixture over medium heat 15 minutes more.

SWEET AND SOUR STEW

Steps:

• Combine flour, 1 tsp salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Add meat, shake to coat.
• In a dutch oven brown meat well in hot oil.
• Combine water, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp salt.
• Stir into browned meat, add onion and carrots.
• Cover and cook over low heat for approx 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally until meat and carrots are tender.
• Serve over rice.

SWEET AND SOUR STEW...FOR TWO

Steps:

• Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper. Dredge meat pieces in flour, shaking off excess.
• In a deep 3 to 4 quart pan, melt butter over medium-high heat; add meat and brown well on all sides. Do in batches if necessary. Drain off and discard excess fat.
• Return meat to pan with any accumulated juices. Combine catsup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, water and remaining 1/2 teaspoons salt; add to meat. Add onion and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Check liquid level and add water, as needed.
• Add carrots and cook for about 40 minutes longer or until meat and vegetables are fork tender. Check liquid level and add water, as needed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
• Note: You can use olive oil instead of or with the butter. Balsamic vinegar is an OK sub for the wine vinegar, but the wine vinegar gives a better "sour". I often will cut up a medium onion into wedges instead of using boiling onions.

HUNGARIAN SWEET (OR SOUR) CABBAGE STEW

Steps:

• 1. Sauté the onion in the oil on medium heat till soft and jammy looking. You can add some water now and then if you feel it is going to brown too much.
• 2. Add the garlic and the meat. If you are using raw meat it will take time to cook through till it is falling apart and oh so tender and falling off the bones. If you are using just the salami/sausage or a mix of both add them and cook till tender.
• 3. Add the potato, the cabbage (and if you are making the sour version add the sauerkraut too), parsley and stir till the cabbage starts to wilt... add enough water to cover it and salt to taste.
• 4. In another pot put the flour and enough oil to make a toothpaste thick roux and cook till it changes colour to a lighter shade. Then add paprika and stir till spice is toasted and fragrant. Pour roux over the cabbage soup and stir through, bring to a boil and this should thicken it and add a nice Hungarian taste to it via the paprika
• 5. Serve with a dash of sour cream if you like... Or as is and have crusty bread with it.

NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS CABBAGE

Steps:

• Lay two slices of bacon across the bottom of a large pot. Cover with a layer of cabbage. Sprinkle a light dusting of flour and a pinch of caraway seed. Season with a little salt and pepper. Repeat layering as many times as possible until you run out of room.
• Fill the pot with enough water to come about 3/4 up the side. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly, then stir in the vinegar and sugar. Use your own judgment. Add sugar carefully to taste. The idea is to strike a balance between the sweet and the sour, and therein lies the trick.