Hunter's Cabbage with Beef Flanken and Kielbasa

The Pennsylvania Dutch are descendants of immigrants from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands who primarily settled in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Literally translated, Pennsylvania Dutch means Pennsylvania German's. This recipe is based on an old family recipe I came across a while back. The original recipe called for too many high fat, sodium and carbohydrate ingredients so I made some simple changes. I substituted beef flanken, which is a thin cross-cut section of beef ribs, for a portion of the kielbasa sausage called for, and I mixed it with turkey kielbasa for the flavor. In place of the potatoes I used turnips to keep that potato texture and chose the hearty savoy cabbage. The flavors of this recipe are simple and delicious and the integrity of those flavors have been retained in my version. I hope you enjoy.

Hunter's Cabbage with Beef Flanken and Kielbasa

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef flanken, 4 bone strips cut in half with 2 bones in each

6 ounces turkey kielbasa, cut into 12 pieces

1 to 2 cups water

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

4 cups turnips, diced

8 cups savoy cabbage, sliced into 1/2 " ribbons

1 tsp. caraway seeds

black pepper

vegetable spray

white horseradish, optional

mustard, optional

Lightly coat the bottom of a large dutch oven pot with vegetable spray. Season the beef with black pepper. Brown the beef flanken on medium high heat, about 2 minutes each side. Remove and reserve. Brown the kielbasa on each side, remove and reserve. Drain any fat from pot. Transfer the beef back to the pot and add enough water to cover and 1 Tbsp. of the cider vinegar. Bring to simmer, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 45 minutes.

While the beef is braising blanch the diced turnips in a large pot of boiling water for about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and add to the beef to cook.

Add the balance of the vinegar, caraway seeds and the cabbage to the beef. Cover and continue to simmer for about 30 to 45 more minutes or until the cabbage is tender. The pot will be full from the cabbage but it will wilt down quite a bit during cooking. Stir the pot occasionally while it cooks.

Add the kielbasa back into the pot and toss ingredients with tongs to blend well. Cook to reheat the kielbasa. Serve with horseradish or mustard if desired.

Nutrition Facts

4 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 315.6

Total Fat 18.9 g

Saturated Fat 7.2 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 7.8 g

Monounsaturated Fat 7.9 g

Cholesterol 63.7 mg

Sodium 552.0 mg

Potassium 669.3 mg

Total Carbohydrate 18.9 g

Dietary Fiber 6.9 g

Sugars 9.7 g

Protein 19.8 g