Charred Cabbage Steaks with Sesame Seeds and Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Description
This recipe involves one whole cabbage, which is carefully boiled until tender, drained from the liquid, cut into large wedges, and patted dry with paper towels. The resulting wedges are sauteed until golden-brown, and garnished with some toasted black sesame seeds.
The yogurt sauce here is infused with some garlic powder and lemon juice, although you can add some grated raw garlic for an even stronger garlic flavor.
I love quick sauces like this made with extra homemade Greek yogurt, which you can strain through cheesecloth over a bowl to arrive at an even thicker consistency until you reach something resembling the texture of sour cream. You can use this strained yogurt for both sweet and savory applications.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Remove the outer leaves from one whole cabbage, and trim the root end off slightly.
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Bring a large stock pot half-filled with salted water to a boil, add the cabbage until it is covered with water, and cover with a lid.
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Reduce the heat to low, and cook the cabbage for roughly 35-40 minutes, or until it is tender in the center.
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Remove the cooked cabbage from the water, and carefully cut into eight large wedges.
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Gently pat the surfaces of the cut cabbage wedges dry with paper towels.
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Add some neutral oil to a large sauté pan, and add the cabbage wedges, along with the fresh thyme, if using.
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Bring the heat up to medium, and cook the cabbage until the cut sides begin to caramelize, or about fifteen minutes.
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When the cabbage sections are golden-brown on both sides, remove from the pan and sprinkle with some toasted black sesame seeds.
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Serve on plates with a small scoop of simple yogurt sauce made from homemade Greek yogurt, garlic powder, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Note
Don’t be afraid to take your time cooking the cabbage steaks in the pan! If your heat is too high, the section of the cabbage touching the pan can turn too dark.
If you find your cabbage sections are taking on too much color, reduce the heat, add a splash of water to the pan, and move the cabbage pieces around.
I’ve seen folks slowly simmer their cabbage in chicken or vegetable stock, which would add even more flavor compared to water, and will also provide you with the leftover broth to use as the base for a delicious soup!There are a million other uses for cabbage, including simple home fermentation projects. Check out our recipes for homemade fermented sauerkraut and kimchi!
