In this episode of Compliments of the Chef, Peter Cox, chef at Sear + Sea at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, shares his recipe for a favorite side dish he serves at the steak and seafood restaurant: Tallow Cabbage. Cox believes in making good use of all the ingredients in his kitchen and keeping waste low, especially because the JW uses high quality ingredients – make use of it all.
You probably don’t have the fancy grill contraption that Cox has at Sear + Sea, but he says you’ll do just fine with any type of grill you have.
Watch the video then give the recipe a try. Better yet, head down to Sea + Sea and try it from the pro.
Tallow Cabbage from JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek
Serves 4-6
For the Aioli
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon confit garlic
½ cup room temperature bacon fat
½ teaspoon chives, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
In a blender, add the first five ingredients and blend on high. Slowly drizzle in the bacon fat until emulsified. It should be the consistency of mayonnaise. Remove from the blender and fold in the chives and season to taste.
For the Cabbage
1 Large Savoy Cabbage
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 sprigs thyme, chopped
1 1/4 cups beef tallow
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Remove any tough outer leaves from the cabbage and cut the head into 4-6 wedges, depending on the size of the cabbage. Trim the root end of each wedge.
To blanch the cabbage, you will need a large bowl of ice water and a large pot of boiling salted water.
Once the water is boiling, immerse the cabbage for 3-4 minutes, until the cabbage brightens in color. Remove the cabbage from boiling water and submerge into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the cabbage well.
Season the cabbage well with the salt in between the leaves and place the cabbage into a deep dish; add the garlic cloves and thyme.
Bring the beef tallow to a boil and pour over the cabbage; allow to cool completely. Once the tallow has firmed up, remove the cabbage and wrap individually in foil. Note: this can be done 1-2 days advanced and stored in the refrigerator.
Heat oven to 350 degrees and cook the cabbage for 40-50 minutes, or until cooked through. While cooking, prepare a grill to medium high heat.
Remove the foil and grill the cabbage.
Place the grilled cabbage on a platter and serve with the bacon aioli.
