Ahwahnee Hotel Sweet ‘n Sour Red Cabbage

We visited Yosemite National Park on our honeymoon, and again for our 25th anniversary. At dinner on that second trip I enjoyed this delectable side-dish so much that I wanted to recreate it for a Christmas dinner a few years later. I actually  found the recipe!

At the hotel (renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel in 2016) it was served with tender loin-cut pork chops, but it's a wonderful accompaniment to any pork or smoked meat, like turkey or chicken.

This traditional method for preparing red cabbage does help retain the beautiful red color.

The recipe yields about 1½ quarts, but it's easy to cut it in half or thirds.

6 strips bacon, diced
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium onion, halved, then sliced
1 medium head red cabbage, cored and shredded
¾ cup water
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup currant jelly
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground clove
1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons melted butter

In large heavy pot or Dutch oven, sauté the bacon until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from pot; leave bacon drippings in the pot.

Sauté apple and onion in reserved bacon drippings until onion is transparent.

Add cabbage and fry a little longer. Add water, vinegar, sugar, jelly, and seasonings. Bring to boil, cover pot and place in 350-degree oven.




Bake about 1 hour, or until cabbage is very tender.

Combine the flour with melted butter, add a little of the hot liquid from cabbage, then stir the flour mixture into the pot. You may need to add a bit more liquid to balance out the flour, it depends on how juicy the cabbage was before cooking.

Cook over medium-high heat until thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes and spiced winter squash for a really satisfying winter meal!

Note: Half of this recipe will feed 6-8 people as a side to mild meats like ham and pork.