I Discovered A Better Way To Cook Cabbage

I recently posted this question on Facebook:

I was surprised by some of the answers, especially about cabbage.

• Chicken: 40%
• Cabbage: 30%
• Salmon: 20%
• Others: 10% (including steak, crab cakes, fish, chili dogs, chicken salad, mac and cheese, cold cuts, potatoes, and ham)

It caught my attention that 30% of the respondents indicated they could eat cabbage every day. I love cabbage, but I don't want to eat that vegetable every day. However, it did get me thinking that perhaps I was cooking and seasoning my cabbage wrong, and there could be a better way.

Golden Corral's Steamed Cabbage

I remembered that I love Golden Corral's steamed cabbage much better than what I cook. Therefore, I placed an order online to see why some people said they could eat cabbage every day.

I ate the small container of cabbage as soon as it was delivered. The side dish was so good I wished I had ordered the larger size. I became curious about how Golden Corral cooked its cabbage.

Therefore, I researched and found the restaurant's recipe online. I bought a cabbage and followed the instructions to the letter.

Here is what I discovered to make my cabbage turn out just as delicious as the restaurant's.

My Discoveries

I discovered that Golden Corral does not boil cabbage in a big pot of water or broth. The well-known restaurant steams cabbage for only 8-10 minutes until the leaves are tender. No meat or anything else is mixed in with the leaves. I usually boil my cabbage, adding ham hocks, turkey wings, bacon, or other ingredients to season the cabbage. Golden Corral steams the cabbage over boiling water without adding anything else.

I also discovered that I was actually cooking my cabbage too long, much too long, longer than 10 minutes. Instead of tender leaves that were still intact, they were too soft and mushy.

While cooking, I season with red pepper, salt, black pepper, and sometimes a little sugar or drops of honey for sweetness. I also add white potatoes to eat with the cabbage. It wasn't necessary to have two side dishes mixed together.

Golden Corral adds salt and black pepper to the cabbage leaves after they are steamed and in a serving dish. The leaves are also dotted with a little butter. And that's the way Golden Corral makes delicious steamed cabbage.

Click here for Golden Corral's Steamed Cabbage Recipe.

My Conclusion

When I posted the question on Facebook, I had no idea cabbage would rank second. I began to think I was missing something. Therefore, I did an experiment that produced the following results.

• I no longer need to order from Golden Corral to eat delicious cabbage.
• Cabbage is better steamed rather than boiled in a pot of water or broth.
• Cabbage should not be steamed for more than 10 minutes.
• I don't need to add meat to be cooked along with the cabbage for seasoning.
• There is no need to eat white potatoes along with cabbage, as I have been doing.
• Steamed cabbage is a delicious and filling dish on its own.

Author's Note

This article is meant to share what I discovered about how I have been preparing cabbage and how I will prepare cabbage in the future. The revelation came from a fun survey I posted online.

This is not to indicate that steamed cabbage is the only way for everyone. Some people like cabbage boiled, fried, sautéed, roasted, and stir-fried. The respondents did not indicate how they like their cabbage. It could be a combination of these variations.

What's Your Way of Preparing Cabbage?

Please comment on how you prepare your cabbage.

1. Do you boil, steam, or prepare your cabbage some other way?
2. Do you cook meat in cabbage for flavor?
3. Do you add salt, pepper, or other spices while you are cooking cabbage?
4. Add anything else that will be helpful to know.