Mom's Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage with Apples

This is a great side dish for roast pork, ham, pork chops, German sausages (Bratwurst and/or Knockwurst) or schnitzels. Add mashed or boiled potatoes or Spaetzle for a complete meal.

Bacon
1 onion, chopped
Red cabbage, cut up
Salt
Water, to cover bottom of pan
1/2 cup vinegar (for large pan of cabbage)
1/4 cup brown sugar (for large pan of cabbage)
Sliced apples

Fry bacon pieces until crisp and brown. Remove bacon and fry onion in the drippings. Add red cabbage, some salt and a little bit of water so that the cabbage steams. Steam about 10 minutes until the cabbage starts to soften. It will cook more in the next step.

For a large pan of cabbage, add 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup brown sugar (adjust for other amounts of cabbage) and mix in. Add sliced apples and cook covered until apples are tender and liquid is absorbed ( 10 - 15 minutes). Add crisp bacon and serve.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is a classic French accompaniment to duck. A favorite recipe (from a poster on sides to serve with duck) is a bit on the sweet-and-sour side:

Melt a few tbsp of butter (or even better, duck fat) in a Dutch oven, then add:

1 small head of red cabbage, shredded
2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, peeled, cored and shredded
1/2 cup red currant jelly
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
Pinch of salt

Simmer gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Delicious stuff.