Rotkohl mit Äpfeln

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   Rotkohl mit Äpfeln
Red Cabbage With Apples 

From Time/Life's Foods of the World - The Cooking of Germany, 1969:

 Rotkohl mit Äpfeln
Red Cabbage With Apples 

To serve 4 to 6:

1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 whole onion, peeled and pierced with 2 whole cloves
1 small bay leaf
1 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons dry red wine
3 tablespoons red currant jelly (optional)
2-to 2.5-pound red cabbage
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons lard or bacon fat
2 medium-sized cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch-thick wedges

Wash the head of cabbage under cold running water, remove the tough outer leaves, and cut the cabbage into quarters. To shred the cabbage, cut out the core and slice the quarters crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips. 

Drop the cabbage into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle it with the vinegar, sugar and salt, then toss the shreds about with a spoon to coat them evenly with the mixture. In a heavy 4- to 5-quart casserole, melt the lard or bacon fat over moderate heat. Add the apples and chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the apples are lightly browned. Add the cabbage, the whole onion with cloves, and the bay leaf; stir thoroughly and pour in the boiling water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and reduce the heat to its lowest possible point. Cover and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the cabbage is tender. Check from time to time to make sure that the cabbage is moist. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon of boiling water. 

When the cabbage is done, there should be almost no liquid left in the casserole. Just before serving, remove the onion and bay leaf, and stir in the wine and the currant jelly. Taste for seasoning, then transfer the entire contents of the casserole to a heated platter or bowl and serve.