Grilled Cabbage Wedges with Spicy Key Lime Bacon Dressing
I caught the very tail end of this being cooked on TV. I have already moved my cabbage cooklng from boiling in water to frying in a pan. This sounded like even more significant upgrade to the relatively tasteless boiled-to-death cabbage I grew up with. Of course, I tweaked the recipe in a manly virile way (added bacon) and some other stuff to make it “mo betta ! “
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup +1 Tbs key lime juice, divided
- 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 head green cabbage
- Grapeseed or canola oil Lime wedges, for serving
Directions:
- Heat a gas or charcoal grill to direct, high heat. Chop and fry bacon until crispy. Remove from heat.
- Whisk together ( or cheat and use your blender) the lime juice, olive oil, bacon and drippings, garlic, cilantro, salt, cayenne, and sugar until the sauce is pale orange and the garlic is pulverized; set aside.
- Remove the loosest, toughest outer leaves from the cabbage, and cut into 8 evenly sized wedges. Do not remove the core. Lightly brush the wedges with grapeseed or canola oil.
- Place the wedges on the grill. Cover and grill until the edges of each layer are blackened and the cabbage is beginning to soften, 5 to 7 minutes per side. The cabbage is ready when it is beginning to wilt, but is still firm in the middle. If you like less crisp cabbage, turn the heat down after they have charred or move the wedges to a cooler part of the grill so they don’t burn.
- Transfer the cabbage wedges to a serving platter. Pour the dressing over the wedges and serve immediately, with wedges of lime to garnish.