Recipe: Brown-Sugar Braised Red Cabbage with Pears

BROWN-SUGAR BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH PEARS

1/2 large head of red cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 large shallots, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or rice wine vinegar
2 ripe medium pears, peeled, cored and cut into thin strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Quarter cabbage, remove core and cut into line shreds. You can use the fine slicing disc of a food processor or cut by hand. (See note*).

TO PREPARE THE SAUCE:
Melt butter over medium heat in large, deep skillet or wok. Add oil, shallots and garlic; cook 1 minute without browning. Add brown sugar, tomato paste and vinegar; cook 1 minute, mashing tomato paste against side of pan to incorporate any clumps. (See note**).

TO FINISH COOKING:
Increase heat to medium-high Add cabbage and pears; cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve at once.

NOTES, ADVANCE PREPARATION:
*It's best to saute cabbage just before serving. But you can cut it up and store it in a sealed plastic bag in refrigerator.
**Sauce ingredients can be cooked 2 hours in advance and set aside.

Makes 6 servings
From: Recipelink.com
Source: Old newspaper recipe clipping: Orange County Register, not dated