Octoberfest with the Frigs...

 Another Sunday Dinner is in the books! The Frigs hosted us for a dinner inspired by their recent trip to Germany. Sausages, soft pretzels and obatzta paired perfectly with the array of beers available. I contributed a batch of braised cabbage to hang out with Rach's harvet salad and Aim's roasted potatoes.  The cabbage was delicious, but man-o-man did I make a lot! 

I took the leftover cabbage home and turned it into a double duty dinner! I tossed some pork in the crock pot and serve it alongside the cabbage, some spaetzle, and green beans! 

Two delicious dinners in a row!

German Pork and Braised Red Cabbage 

Serve this alongside some buttered spaetzle and green beans

German Style Pork:

1 Large onion, sliced

4 pounds pork shoulder roast

Salt and Pepper

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 granny smith apple, cored, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/4” thick slices

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

½ Cup of cheap mild beer

Slice the onion and place it in the bottom of an 8 quart slow cooker. Place the roast in the slow cooker and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the roast with the caraway seeds, paprika, allspice and cloves. Combine the mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and mix well. Slather the mustard mixture evenly over the roast and sprinkle with the sliced apples. Add the cinnamon and bay leaf to the pot and pour the beer around the roast. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours and low for 2 additional hours or on low setting for 10 hours. Meat should shred from the bone easily.

Braised Red Cabbage

1 medium head of red cabbage

2 Tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil

1 large sweet onion, sliced

Salt and Pepper

2/3 Cup balsamic vinegar, divided

2 granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cinnamon stick

1 large bay leaf'

Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core. Cut the cabbage crosswise into thin shreds. Rinse the shredded cabbage well in cold water. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large pot over medium heat; add the onion and season them with salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browning (about 8 minutes). Add 1/3 Cup of balsamic vinegar and the apples and mix well. Add the cabbage and toss well to coat. Add the remaining vinegar, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaf to the pot and toss well. Add an additional sprnkling of salt and place the lid on the pot. Allow the cabbage to simmer for 45 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning and and serve. Refrigerate leftovers after cooling.