Baked cabbage with smoked ribs

Name: Baked cabbage with smoked ribs
Ingredients: 1500 ml water; 700 g smoked ribs; 1000 ml water; 500 g tomatoes; 1.5 kg white cabbage; 2 medium onions (300 g); 2 peppers (300 g); 45 ml oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 bay leaf; 300 ml rib cooking liquid; 15 g dill; 2 g dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 chili pepper for serving

Meat - Baked cabbage with smoked ribs by Nadia C. - Recipia

Baked cabbage with smoked ribs softens in the cooking liquid, then its edges turn lightly golden in the pan. Tomatoes, onion and peppers melt into the cabbage shreds, and the smoked ribs lend their flavor to every serving. I serve it hot and add chili pepper just before eating. Prep: 25 minutes. Cook: 121 minutes. Total: 146 minutes. Serves: 6. About 380 kcal and 22 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1500 ml water
700 g smoked ribs
1000 ml water
500 g tomatoes
1.5 kg white cabbage
2 medium onions (300 g)
2 peppers (300 g)
45 ml oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
300 ml rib cooking liquid
15 g dill
2 g dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 chili pepper for serving

Preparation

1. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Put them in a pot with 1500 ml water and boil for 45 minutes, until the meat pulls easily away from the bone. Keep the cooking liquid. 2. Bring 1000 ml water to a boil, add the tomatoes and blanch for 1 minute. Peel them and chop finely. 3. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can, chop the onion and peppers, then put them in a pot with 45 ml oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the bay leaf and 150 ml of the rib cooking liquid. Cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, until the cabbage softens. 4. Cut the ribs into pieces. Put them in a large pot with the cabbage and add 300 ml of the cooking liquid. Stir in the tomatoes, chopped dill, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring now and then. 5. Heat the oven to 180°C. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until the edges of the cabbage are lightly browned. Serve hot with chili pepper.

Notes

I serve it with warm mămăligă, a Romanian cornmeal porridge. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days; when reheating, add a little cooking liquid if they have thickened too much. For the cabbage, I choose a heavy, firm head with tightly packed leaves. I remove the core and slice the thick ribs of the leaves thinner so they soften along with the rest. Smoked ribs can be salty, so I taste the cooking liquid before adding salt. Cooking the ribs is the part I don’t rush; if the meat still resists pulling away from the bone, I leave them in the pot longer. Very juicy tomatoes leave more liquid in the dish, and the cabbage may need a little extra time in the oven. Young cabbage with thin leaves softens faster than cabbage with thick ribs.