Pork Chops Smothered Cabbage

This is a beautiful one-pot braise where pork chops get buried under a mountain of shredded red cabbage, chopped apples, and sliced red onion, all simmered in chicken broth with red wine vinegar and cranberry juice until everything turns meltingly tender.

The cabbage cooks first for 30 minutes to soften it down and release its natural juices. Then the pork goes in with the cranberry juice, and the whole pot simmers covered for another 45 minutes. By the time it’s done, the cabbage is silky, sweet-tart, and stained a deep purple from the cranberry and vinegar.

Lemon zest and a bay leaf add subtle layers of flavor you can’t quite place but would miss if they weren’t there.

Pro Tips

• Trim the fat from the pork chops before adding them. Excess fat won’t render properly in a braise and makes the cabbage greasy.
• Use tart apples like Granny Smith. Sweet apples break down into mush and make the dish cloying with the cranberry juice already adding sweetness.
• Stir the cabbage occasionally during the first cook so the bottom layer doesn’t scorch.
• Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving. Biting into a bay leaf is never a pleasant surprise.

Variations

• Swap cranberry juice for apple cider for a mellower, less tart braise.
• Use bone-in pork chops for more flavor. The bones add body to the braising liquid.
• Add a tablespoon of caraway seeds for a more Germanic, old-world flavor profile.