Take-out Style Beef with Caramelized Cabbage
Ground beef is a kitchen staple in our home. We always have a few pounds in our freezer and I’ve been known to dunk the “bricks” in a hot bath in the sink when dinner that night is a question mark. I can always find a use for ground beef! One of our favorite ways to use it for a cozy winter dinner is to pair it with a sweet-savory sauce over bone broth rice with a crispy edged, caramelized head of cabbage that tastes like take out, but a million times better for you. We bring all the hot sauce, seaweed, sesame seeds, and kimchi jars to the table and let everyone make their own bowl! This version has a rich depth of flavor from the peanut butter and molasses that pair so well with the ginger, sesame oil, and garlic to create something so moorish that you’ll be hoping for leftovers the next day.
Ingredients:
makes 8 servings
Beef:
2 pounds ground beef
½ cup coconut aminos
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoon peanut butter
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
2 teaspoons siracha, more or less depeding on your spice tolerance!
(we love Yellowbird)
Cabbage:
½ head green or savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
generous pinch of salt
Directions:
In a small saucepan combine the coconut aminos, molasses, sesame oil, rice vinegar, peanut butter, grated garlic and ginger, and siracha and bring it to a simmer. Whisk it well until it’s glossy and smooth. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, giving it a good whisk every minute or so. It will thicken a bit as it cooks. While that is happily blipping away, let’s brown the beef and caramelize the cabbage. Get two wide skillets out and heat them over medium low heat. Add the ground beef to one and spread it in an even layer. Let it brown on that side then break it up with a wooden spoon. The fat will begin to render out and the little bits of broken up meat that you’ve created can caramelize in the pan. Meanwhile, melt the butter for the cabbage in the other pan and add the thinly sliced cabbage with a sprinkle of salt. Let it soften and caramelize as you stir it every few minutes. When the beef is nice and browned, drain the excess fat out and discard. Pour the sauce mixture over top, giving it a good stir to fully coat the meat. If it seems a bit dry you can add some more coconut aminos over top. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes on low together. Serve the beef and cabbage on a bowl of rice and enjoy your non-takeout!
