Southern Fried Cabbage with Smoked Sausage

From Martha. Despite all the years I've been making my own meals, I had never made cooked cabbage until I tried a traditional "corned beef and cabbage" recipe on St Patricks Day a couple years ago. I learned I really like cooked cabbage, it mellows out the raw cabbage flavor and develops sort of a sweet flavor. I probably shouldn't be surprised I like it, cabbage is related to brussel sprouts and broccoli which I love.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces smoked sausage links, such as kielbasa or andouille
1 yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere's
1 head green cabbage (3 pounds), cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (12 cups)
3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Whole-grain mustard, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a large pot or 1 1/2-quart braiser over medium heat. Add sausages and cook, flipping once, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pot, along with onion, brown sugar, and Creole seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in half of cabbage and vinegar; season with salt. As mixture begins to reduce in volume, add remaining cabbage; season with salt. Cover and cook, stirring a few times, until cabbage is softened and wilted but still has a slight crunch, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Nestle sausages into cabbage and cook just until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Cut sausages into 1/2-inch-thick pieces; serve with cabbage and mustard, if desired.