Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage with a twist and a kick!

Everyone I know has had a recipe for sweet and sour red cabbage, ideal side dish for pork roast, pork chops, chicken thighs, sausages and any other dish you can pair it with, me, I like to eat it by itself, it's so good!

So here is my recipe for this wonderful dish that can be eaten hot, or room temperature, and enjoyed anytime of the year!

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

4 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium sized head of red cabbage,cored,sliced thin (1/4 inch)with v-slicer/mandolin,
(second slicing notch on v- slicer) or slicing blade on food processor
2 large white onions, sliced as thinly as the cabbage, use the same slicing method as above
2 large Granny Smith Apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced thinly
2 large Mutzu Apples, unpeeled, cored, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 allspice berries, whole
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon nutmeg grated
1/2 cinnamon stick-2 inch piece
Pinch red pepper flakes- optional
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups water

Prepare all ingredients as stated, when you make everything ready it's easier. In a large stock pot, over medium high heat, cook lardons of bacon until slightly crispy, remove the bacon bits, drain on paper towels, reserve. To the bacon drippings, add the butter, stir until melted,lower heat to medium, then add 1/2 the sliced cabbage, 1/2 the onions, stir until coated with the butter/bacon drippings, then add the other 1/2 of the cabbage and onions, stir until all is coated with the butter bacon mixture, add the apples, stir and cook down a bit, then add the salt, pepper, allspice berries, whole cloves,bay leaf, grated nutmeg, red pepper flakes, if using, stir everything together until well mixed. Mix up the water, brown sugar,vinegar, then add to red cabbage mixture, add the cinnamon stick, bring all to the boil, stir to coat everything, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stir thoroughly from time to time to be sure all cabbage gets cooked, leave lid off for the last 20 minutes to let the liquid evaporate, remove allspice berries, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf; if the sauce is too thin to your taste, remove cabbage mixture, leaving the liquid then bring to a boil, thicken with a combination of 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch/water slurry, stir until thick, return the cabbage onion apple mixture, coat with the thickened sauce,serve, sprinkled with the reserved bacon, enjoy it hot or at room temperature. This can also be cooked in a slow cooker, just cook the bacon in the regular way, then proceed to layer cabbage with the other ingredients, reduce the water to 1-1/2 cups.