Cabbage and Ground Beef

For the Beef & Cabbage Base:

For the Sweet & Tangy Tomato Sauce:

To Finish:

Sear for Flavor: Heat the olive oil in your large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink. If there is excess grease (more than 1-2 tablespoons), drain it off.
Build the Base: Add the diced onion to the beef in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. Season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.

Combine Sauce Ingredients: To the skillet with the beef, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, thyme, and oregano. Stir well to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (this is flavor!).
Incorporate the Cabbage: Add all of the chopped cabbage to the skillet. It will seem like a massive volume, but it will wilt down dramatically. Stir everything together, trying to coat the cabbage in the sauce as best as possible.
Initial Cook: Cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. This allows the cabbage to begin to soften and release its moisture into the sauce.

Stir and Continue Cooking: After 10 minutes, remove the lid. The cabbage will have wilted significantly. Give everything a good stir. If the mixture looks dry, add a splash more broth or water.
Final Simmer: Re-cover and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cabbage is very tender but not mushy, and the flavors have melded together beautifully. The sauce should have thickened slightly.

Fold in the Rice: Stir in the cooked rice until it is evenly distributed and warmed through. This adds heartiness and makes the dish a complete meal. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt if needed.
Rest: Remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. This allows the final flavors to settle and the dish to cool slightly for perfect eating temperature.
Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle generously with fresh chopped parsley. Serve hot directly from the skillet.

Note: Nutritional information is an estimate. Using extra-lean beef, reducing sugar, or using low-sodium tomatoes/sauce will alter these values.

The Cabbage: A standard green cabbage is perfect. For a milder flavor, you can use savoy cabbage. The key is to chop it uniformly so it cooks evenly. Don’t worry about the initial volume—it will cook down to about one-third of its size.
Rice Prep: This is a great use for leftover rice. If cooking fresh, prepare ⅓ cup of uncooked rice according to package directions to yield about 1 cup cooked. For extra flavor, cook it in beef broth instead of water.