Braised Shortribs with Cabbage [Dairy free, Gluten free, Grains free, Sugar free]

We're currently in Durban, South Africa for the Top Gear 2014 Festival, leaving behind the freezing Johannesburg temperatures for a few days of relaxation in our coastal home Province.  

I prepared in advance for this trip, combining it with my short work week next week and most of my meals were frozen from home and they traveled well, still frozen after the 6 hour journey and detour to our final destination.  The soups are coming in handy too! Head Chef decided to cook a curry for him and our boys today and bought some amazing fresh lamb from a local butcher and his attention was caught by a customer buying short ribs, so he bought a bit for me which was a really small amount, about 200g worth.  I visited the local Fruit and Veg city and bought shredded cabbage for the modest amount of R3.  This has to be the most inexpensive yet one of the nicest, simplest  dinner meals that I have cooked thus far in my journey, a little under R20 for all the ingredients used.

I have avoided low-carb cabbage for a while for no particular reason, but cooking it today with slow-braised, thinly sliced short-ribs brought back the appeal to definitely include more cabbage in my meals!  This is a simply cooked Indian version inherited from generations past and present, it's simplicity in preparation with deep slow braised flavours make this a quick to cook nourishing and hunger busting meal.

Ingredients

200g short ribs
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 tblsp olive oil
1 small onion sliced
1 tsp ground, fresh garlic and ginger
1-2 dry red chillies, roughly cut
cumin and fennel seeds per your taste, not more than 1/4 tsp
1 small stick cinnamon bark
Himalayan or Sea salt to taste
Other seasoning Optional eg, freshly ground black pepper to taste

Here's How

• Heat the olive oil in a small pot on medium heat
• Add in the cinnamon stick, cumin and fennel seeds, dry red chilli and allow them to sizzle and become aromatic. This takes about 2 minutes.
• You may turn down the heat, then add in the onions and braise until translucent.  Then add in the garlic and ginger.
• Mix well and add in the short ribs, cook for 5-10 minutes and add in the shredded cabbage.

 

• Cover the pot with its lid and allow the cabbage and short ribs to cook for a further 10 minutes.

• Turn off the stove heat - the cabbage should be well cooked yet lightly crunchy.

This meal may be garnished with fresh coriander and served with a salad or other vegetables of your choice.