Braised Pork Ribs with Cabbage

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make braised pork ribs with cabbage? Start by gathering your ingredients. Try to pick ribs with some fat marbled through them — it makes the finished dish richer and more flavorful. Rinse the ribs well under running water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Cut them along the bones into small pieces.

2. Step 2:

   

   Add a little oil to a hot skillet and lay in the cut ribs. Brown them on all sides over medium heat.

3. Step 3:

   

   While the ribs brown, peel and rinse the onion and carrot. Finely chop the onion. Grate the carrot on the coarse side of a grater.

4. Step 4:

   

   Add the chopped vegetables to the browned ribs. Stir and cook everything together for another 3–4 minutes.

5. Step 5:

   

   Peel off the tough outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the head in half and thinly shred one half with a sharp knife. Add the shredded cabbage to the skillet. Stir, cover with a lid, lower the heat, and braise, stirring now and then, for about 10 minutes. Splash in a little water if you notice the vegetables starting to brown.

6. Step 6:

   

   Now stir in the tomato paste. Season with salt and spices to taste. Use whatever spices you like, but I'd keep it to just ground pepper so you don't overpower the main flavor of the dish. Stir and leave to braise for another 20 minutes or so. Adjust the braising time as you go — it depends on the cabbage. Young cabbage cooks faster than older, tougher heads.

7. Step 7:

   

   The longer the cabbage braises, the better everything soaks up each other's juices and aroma. Cook it to your liking, though — some people like it with a bit of crunch, others prefer it very soft. Once it's done, take the braised cabbage and ribs off the heat and let it rest, covered, so the flavors meld. Then serve hot. Enjoy!