Fried Cabbage- and Southern Misconceptions
This is the last post in my Oh My Bacon Grease! Series. To see the first post, click here. The second post, click here 
I’m going to start this post by letting you know, in the interest of full disclosure, that while the recipe I am bringing you today serves about four or five people (give or take), I ate every blessed bit of it all by myself. ~grins~ I know, I’m proud of me, too. It took me more than one meal but I’m no quitter! It’s that kind of steady work ethic that has gotten me where I am today. “Well, Christy, where exactly are you today?” I’m glad you asked coz I’m gonna tell ya. I’m waist high in laundry, ankle deep in dirty dishes, shoulder high in kids, and about as happy as a pig in slop! Life couldn’t be any better.
So now on to the business of bacon. As I’ve been focusing on filling up my bacon grease jar all week I’m going to bring you one more bacon dish that utilizes both the drippings and the bacon itself. I dearly love cabbage in all forms. Raw, boiled, fried, and even sauerkraut. In fact, there would have been a lot more in this dish had I not of eaten so much of it raw while I was chopping it. Out of all the ways I eat cabbage though, this is the absolute best in my eyes.
Don’t let the “fried” part scare you off. Some folks hear “fried” in relation to Southern food and they automatically think vats of oil, like we sit around in our hoop skirts on the lawns of plantation houses gnawing on fried chicken all day long. ~sighs~. God love’em. You know I was talking to my friend Jyl the other day and we were talking about how neither one of us have ever known a rich plantation owning Southerner, but all of the movies and such would have you believe that the majority of us are descended from them. Boggles the mind, really.
With regards to fried foods though, there is a simple reason why so many of our recipe titles start out with “fried”. You see, we refer to a large skillet as a “Frying pan” and so everything we cook in it usually gets labeled “fried”. We’re not big on fancy words like “saute’”, which is really what we are doing here. The definition of “Saute” is cooking something in a small amount of fat over high heat. No, Southern cooking doesn’t put on any airs, so we just call it “fried”. You ask any old timer in the South what sounds better, Fried Cabbage or Sauteed Cabbage, and I’d be willing to put money on them choosing the first.
As far as the misconception about all Southern food being deep fried goes, I’ve decided that when anyone thinks like that about us, I’m just gonna let them keep on thinking that way and I think you should, too. That just means more of the good stuff everyone else!
Lets fry some up now..
Ingredients are simple, as they are in all of the best dishes! Cabbage and bacon. We’ll also salt and pepper it a bit.
Chop your cabbage up however you like to chop your cabbage up. I do mine in medium sized pieces but some people prefer larger or smaller, whatever cranks yer tractor.
I have to quit chopping at this point because the longer I chop the more I eat and I want to have some left over to actually cook.
The instructions begin with my favorite sentence in the world: “First, you fry you up some bacon…”
Anytime a recipe starts with that you know it’s gonna be good. (be sure to check out my sweet and sour green bean post!)
I spooned out all of the grease except for about two tablespoons
This is what you’re left with after that is done. It may not look like much, but it is the makings for some fine cabbage!
Place all of your cabbage back in the skillet
Crumble your bacon and add that, too. Stir it up a bit and cook on medium high heat for about five minutes, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to low and cover skillet. Continue cooking just until cabbage is as tender as you like it, five to ten minutes.
When it gets as tender as you like it to be, or when you just can’t wait any longer, dig in!
Ingredients
- 5-6 strips of bacon (more or less if you like)
- 1 head cabbage, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In large skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Place bacon on paper towel lined plate and remove all of the bacon grease from the pan except for about two tablespoons. Place chopped cabbage in skillet and crumple cooked bacon on top of it. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes. Reduce heat to low and cover. Continue cooking until cabbage is done to your desired tenderness, five to ten minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste.
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Ingredients
- 5-6 strips of bacon (more or less if you like)
- 1 head cabbage, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In large skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Place bacon on paper towel lined plate and remove all of the bacon grease from the pan except for about two tablespoons. Place chopped cabbage in skillet and crumple cooked bacon on top of it. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes. Reduce heat to low and cover. Continue cooking until cabbage is done to your desired tenderness, five to ten minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste.
Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples,
don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious.
~Bill Meyer
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Gratefully,
Christy
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jul 9 2010. Filed under Side Dishes.
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I love fried cabbage. My mom used to make it all the time. I only get to make it on occassion now (it’s just me and the hubby). Mom would also sometimes just take the cabbage and quarter it, put a slice of onion and bacon, salt and pepper on it and wrap in aluminum foil and put in the oven. That is delicious too!
Try adding about a tablespoon of sugar to this. It’s good without it, but OMG with it.
now i’m starving …
I added 4 Tbls butter to the bacon grease to fry with and a tsp of cayenne pepper to season. It was OUT OF THIS WORLD
Cabbage is a weekly food in our home, and it is either this way or “steamed” as my son calls it which is actually boiled but in his mind boiled cabbage is terrible but steamed cabbage is his favorite. My mother in law showed me this recipe and says when you think you have enough pepper add more
goes great with Pepsi Pork!
This is how my Grandma always made fried cabbage. I miss her so much! I think I will make some this weekend and hopefully it will turn out as good as hers!!
Oh, honey, I don’t need a new recipe for fried cabbage, but read it anyway. Sometimes I ‘juice’ it up a bit with chicken broth. And since I know how you feel about bacon grease, I can tell you I’ve had visitors at my North Georgia home from all over the world who many times who happen upon my grease repository and GASP, ‘you don’t use this, do you’? They’ve been the recipient of it’s wonders the whole time they’ve been visiting!!
I use butter, garlic sallt, and pepper. During the summer, my husband puts it in an aluminum foil pan and cooks it on the grill – delicious!
That is exactly how I cook my fried cabbage. Bacon grease makes everything taste just a wee bit better!
Deb
Love fried cabbage! My Korean friend taught me to slice it very thin and only coook it for a minute or so. Yummy! This southern girl loves it your way too. Thanks for sharing!
Where’s the iron skillet? Only thing I can see missing from this recipe. I have to eat it all myself(over a few days) since my yankee(italian-american) husband doesn’t like it. Hey, it’s more for me.
I live this with touch of Sesame oil.
OH lawdy…this sounds SO good. I usually boil mine with a pinch of sugar, salt and some cayenne pepper, but the bacon sounds too good not to try!!!
Try this: chop up cabbage in dutch oven or large pot, add 1 chopped onion, 1 lb package smoked sausage link (chopped) I prefer (hot) 1 chopped onion, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 stick butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste. Cook until cabbage is tender. They always clean the bowl
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Hi Christy,
This is my first visit to your website and it’s impressive!
I am making a batch of fried cabbage right now and it smells soooo yummy! I’ve never heard of fried cabbage but ironically, I’m in southeast Louisiana!
Thanks very much for posting this recipe and have a great day!
______
Lee Ann H
Crochet…Gotta Love It! Blog
Crochet…Gotta Love It! Website (crochet names and rosary patterns)
I usually throw some dice potatoes in mine to. Its the best!!
Ohhh, that sounds good Rachel!
this is also delicious with garlic powder added…that’s how I do it…delicious
Try adding a sliced granny smith apple, a tablespoon of sugar and just a splash of apple cider vinegar. It is wonderful!!
I have never had a scrap of this left over and have made it for years. Thanks Chisty for keeping the southern tradition going. Of course this definitely requires corn muffins to go with it and I sometimes dice potatoes in the cabbage.
I add a pkg of tomatoes that we put up each year. Also garlic and onions. Usually eat it with pork and i have to make a lot of it as i feed 13 on Sunday and they all love it.
YUMMY! But, my Mom and I are the only ones that eat it. I guess it’s our “special food.” I know that we’ve had good times while eating it…lots of happy memories.
love my cabbage cooked (fried) the way you show us. Best way to eat. And yes, I sometimes cut potatoes in mine, just for a different taste. You just cannot beat, and yes, I sometimes cook sausage with it. Oh, I could go on, but will stop.
I add green, red and orange bells diced, sweet onions, sugar, vinegar and some allspice, cloves and nutmeg! Makes a yummy German version of yours! I love it both ways but also love the versatility of both! Gives the dish variety!
I am having Fried Cabbage and Jordan Rolls tonight
Love fried cabbage either this way or with smoked sausage, onion, bell pepper and little chicken broth…it is so good and always with cornbread.
Here it is almost lunch time and now I so want me some of this cabbage.
My mom buys bagged cole slaw mix and fries it up. Myself, I’ve never seen the appeal, although I love cabbage raw — on sandwiches, mixed up as creamy cole slaw, with balsamic vinaigrette …
My step-mother makes cabbage this way, but she also adds a spoon or two of sugar and several good shakes of dried crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick. Everyone loves this, along with her bean soup (baby limas) and cornbread.
I love your recipes and your blog. Have your cookbook also. Thanks.
Christy, I just tried your fried cabbage recipe! I will never steam cabbage in water again, girl! Wonderful!
I am so glad to hear you liked it Frances!!!
Try this recipe with the bacon and onion. Then add 1/2 lb of cooked egg noodles. Its a meal by itself.