Southern Fried Cabbage Recipe Advice

Cassandra, I grew up eating this dish and know how vital the pork is to the outcome. Have you tried using Goya pork flavor seasoning? It is sold in larger stores in the Mexican food section. It's a box about the size of a deck of cards with about 10 packets of seasoning in it. You may need to use 2 packets to achieve the strength of pork flavor. Hope this helps. C.

Hi Cassandra, I understand what you mean. My parents are from the southand I was brought up on cabbage cooked with pork. Your taste really comes from the bacon being smoked so you could use meat that has been smoked like beef smoked sausage,turkey wings that has been smoked. This will help give you the taste your looking for trust me. Please let me know how it turns out. S. T.

Keep using the turkey bacon. The problem is that you are missing that salty pork bacon taste. Add a cube of chicken broth to the water that you are cooking with. Even if its a really small amount of water. I started doing this at my mothers suggestion. I did this to replace some of the salt and cut down on the bacon fat. IT HAS WORKED WONDERS!!! It gives that "comfort feel" without taking away all the good taste.
They also make cubes of onion and garlic. Again, gives a little when you are taking a little away.
HTH,
Margaret :)

I agree you're probably missing the salty pork flavor. Try using peanut oil, which has a fabulous flavor, to cook it in and Lawry's Season All might help.

Good luck! I'll have to try it, sounds yummy.

Funny i made yesterday i used the bacon but i have some ham seasoning just like the chicken/beef bouillon i bet it would be just as good. I used paula deen recipe.
1 head cabbage chopped
1 can corned beef
4 pc bacon
4 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
cook bacon or whatever bouillon base you want.
rmv bacon add butter then add cabbage cook 10-15 min till just crisp not too long dont get mushy. then add the can corn beef toss till warm about 7-10 min. very good

I use olive oil for a little extra flavor, garlic and bacon substitute (like Bac-os). The latter is added a few minutes before serving.
Bon Appetit!

Try using chicken broth. There is really no substitute for bacon since your husband does not eat pork. But it will taste good, not just quite like you recall. I Love it too!

My husband will also saute it with a little worchestershire or even a splash of BBQ or steak sauce. In this case use butter for your fat. My teenagers love it!

i don't have your answer...but would love to get your recipe! it sounds yummy! what do you serve it with?

If it is a delicacy that your husband doesn't want to eat, could you not fix a small portion and eat it yourself and to keep from having to figure out what to do with the rest of the cabbage make maybe just steamed cabbage or cole slaw or something for him?

Recipe please!!

Sounds delightful any which way you cook it.

thanks!!!

You might try using olive oil (or canola oil) and then adding a drop of liquid smoke and a little extra salt. The bacon grease is fat, salt and the smoke flavor. Go easy on the liquid smoke, taste, then add more if needed (a little goes a long way!)

You can cook in crisco oil, or oil of your choice.....flavor with the seasoning bacon bits. It might come close. That way you have only the flavor of bacon.

Try using butter, or butter-flavored crisco shortening as a substitute.

You will not get the bacon-y flavor that you would with the bacon...that is just the flavor that pork-fat adds. Does he not eat pork for health or religious reasons? You could fry bacon in the pan, remove it and just add the cabbage to the drippings and serve it without the meat.

You could add a little salted dried chipped beef or saute some beef jerky in it too, for the smokey flavor...if you do use the liquid smoke, use just a tiny drop...it is really overpowering!

I grew up eating "cabbage & hamburgers" - same basic idea but fry up your ground beef with onions (and I use green peppers most of the time too) - then add the cabbage. A bit of a different taste but it's really delicious. Good luck with your experiments!

I tried this for the first time several years back but it was only cooked with extra virgin olive oil and without the sugar. We dont eat pork or sugar. I use garlic salt and pepper to season it with. We absolutely love it.

Well....you can use a salted butter, which will work just fine. I cook this all the time. I'm just a southern girl. I love to use salt bacon, but if I don't have it I use the drippings from the meat grease whether it is chichen, pork chops, or bacon. It is just as good if you are frying chicken and use the leftover drippings. Make sure you use salt, pepper, and garlic powder on your chicken and it will flavor your grease. Add some onion.........yummy!!!!!
I serve with cornbread and creamed potatoes, along with the meat!!!! Let me know if you like it!!!

I use smoked turkey wings and/or corned beef with a broth like chicken or beef for more flavor. I boil the corned beef seperately with some seasoning and when tender I add it to my cabbage.

The wings I bake with seasoning it however you like and when tender, I pull it off the bone and add to the cabbage. The broth you can add whenever you like.

You can also boil the wings or corned beef with broth for flavor instead of water.

Hi Cassandrea -

I love this dish, I cook it with butter instead of bacon, not the same taste, but yet very yummy!

Hi Cassandra - I have a great substitution. Use the turkey bacon. Do not add any other salt. Use Knorr pork boullion cubes for your added pork flavor. Even better is "Better Than Boullion" gam base - packed with flavor and smokeiness.

One day I was out of bacon so used bacon bits and it gave it the same flavor. Since he doesnt like it cook his separate and add the bacon bits after you take his out. you may want to try ham flavored seasoning or boullion. I've also have used a little grease from what I just fried and it tastes just as good.

I no longer use bacon grease because of health issues but love fried cabbage. I use a strong flavored oil ( peanut oil, if no one is allergic). Then, experiment with seasonings to replace some of the bacon taste. I use a little cayenne pepper.

Have you tried smoked turkey. We don't eat pork and the turkey seems to work well for me.

Maybe salt & liquid smoke might mimick the taste...and maybe a little chicken stock in place of some of the water you boil/steam the cabbage in????

Cassandra;
We use "Olive Oil" instead of bacon grease. Yes, the flavor
is a little different but it is much healthier!
Our way of doing it is just lightly cover the bottom of the
frying pan with olive oil and get it hot, then pour in the
ingredients and pour more olive oil over that when it starts
to fry.
You will actually have more of the cabbage taste and after
a couple of times I think your family will like it!
B. C

Tofu bacon has worked great in other recipes I've had that called for pork bacon. Better than turkey.

My grandmother (now deceased) used to cook this in an iron skillet with not that much cabbage but as I remember she used either crisco or margarine. I have personally used margarine and it works just fine. I cook mine in a 5 qt. pot and it turns out nice and brown and not mushy. Hope this helps!
Bon Appetite'

Hi, Cassandra! My Aunt Lela Mae always had the best Fried Cabbage. She used the same ingredients as you, but she also used real bacon. When I married my husband he only eats chicken, turkey or fish. My solution is smoked turkey. Not turkey bacon. Also leave the skin on for more flavor. After the cabbage is done you can remove the skin, or the turkey if you choose, but i leave it in. I buy a fully cooked smoked turkey and use the legs, thighs and wings. This leaves the turkey breast for tomorrow nights dinner--maybe Turkey Tetrazini!

Our family does not eat pork but I have found that imitation bacon bits can give you the flavor without the pork. Of course you now have quite a few cemicals in your dish. We do not use this very often but occasionally it is a nice change of flavor.