For The Hands-Down Best Cabbage, Make It Jacques Pépin's Way

The multi-hyphenate food world celebrity Jacques Pépin's nearly 70 years as a culinary luminary have helped home cooks create better plates all over the globe. Beef seekers can ask their butchers for Jacques Pépin's favorite piece of meat to create better steaks. Sweet tooths can zhuzh up their French toast with Pépin's melted ice cream technique. And, of course, veggie devotees can replicate the renowned French chef's cabbage technique for simply sensational sides.

In a revived clip posted to the Jacques Pépin Foundation's Instagram, Pépin braises the leafy green (which he says is just as great in red) to tender success. His preparation begins by frying a bit of fat via bacon on the stovetop in a heavy pan. Then he adds fragrant onion and garlic, and introduces a whole head of chopped savoy cabbage to cook down with splashes of cider vinegar, water, salt, pepper flakes, and a bit of brown sugar for a tartly sweetish finish. Provided you follow the basic principles of braising, which involves slowly cooking a covered ingredient in liquid, you can adapt Pépin's recipe in almost any way you wish.

Fat is flavor, as we always say, so you need to get some variety kicking around the pan before you add the cabbage, which will also be less liable to stick with a little lubrication. You can follow Jacques Pépin's lead, or swap the bacon with pancetta, or even just use butter or oil. You could also change the onion to a shallot, or even omit the garlic, if you must.

Your braising liquid will probably have the greatest flavor effect in this case. Pépin's vinegar will certainly impart a sour punch that might not quite match the evening's menu. Broth or stock will do the job, too, with what's likely to be a more neutral final product. Just be sure to spy its sodium content and tamp down any extra salt to taste. White wine is also a terrific contender, provided that you cook with a wine that you'd also actually want to drink. Just don't eschew the acid entirely. Even if you're skipping the ACV this time, a bit of pucker can balance the botanical. Consider tossing your braised cabbage with a squeeze of lemon before plating for a more refined bite.