Haluski is a dish from Eastern Europe that generally consists of green cabbage, egg noodles, and black pepper. We love it, as it’s delicious, cheap, and quick to make. Usually, my wife makes it since she’s go the Hungarian roots and grew up with her grandma’s Haluski. She’s made it with various types of sausage, veggie additions, and even with a few different spice additions. It doesn’t seem to matter what she does…it’s always incredible.
However, she’s out of town, so I had to try to fend for myself. Knowing that if I tried to recreate her Haluski, I’d be disappointed, I decided to take it in a slightly different direction. Since there’s a distinct fall feeling in the mornings and evenings these days, I opted to use apples and pork to match the season. As a finishing touch, I relied on the humble caraway seed to bring a distinct flavour profile to the dish. In all, I’m proud to say it worked (although, I’m excited for my wife to come back and make one of her versions).
Time: 25 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Green cabbage
- Onions
- Egg noodles
- Pork (we used a boneless pork loin chop)
- Apple
- Black pepper
- Optional: Caraway seeds
Method:
- Begin to heat some water so that it’s boiling at the right time.
- Cut up your fruit and vegetables
- Cut your cabbage into large square or rectangular pieces
- Thinly slice your onions
- Thinly slice your apple
- Heat some butter or oil in a large pan (we like to use stainless steel for this meal), and when it’s hot, add your cabbage. Sautee, stirring occasionally to cook evenly.
- When the cabbage begins to brown, add in your onions, and continue the sauteeing. We like to add a splash or two of water here so that the cabbage starts to steam at this point and doesn’t overbrown.
- As your onions and cabbage are cooking, thinly slice your pork, and then add it to your pan, and stir until it browns.
- At this point, pour your egg noodles into the boiling water, and let them get started.
- When the pork is browned, add your apple slices, and pour in your black pepper and caraway seeds to taste. Continue to stir to combine and let the flavours blend.
- When your noodles are cooked, drain them, and pour them into your cabbage/pork pan. Stir to combine.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
Normally I would exercise restraint with advice, but something compelled me to write: Just two things – don’t be afraid to sear your cabbage to char it. You will be thankful for the flavor. My reference is most eastern european countries where cabbage is a staple, where cabbage is cooked and fried until sweetish, tender and full of woodfire flavors.
The second point is about the caraway seeds: Use a mortar and pestle to break up the seeds and roast them in a hot pan without oil before using them. They will be much more intense than their seeds out of a can.
Thank you for the feedback and advice! I will definitely try that!