Cabbage with Ground Beef

1. Heat a large skillet or braiser over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the olive oil.
2. A braiser with cooked ground beef
3. Cook the Meat:
4. Add the ground meat to the pan. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook for 3–4 minutes until browned.
   3–4 minutes
5. Add Vegetables and Seasoning:
6. Stir in the onion, carrots, red pepper, garlic, and tomato paste. Season with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and Italian seasoning (if using). Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
   2–3 minutes
7. A braiser with cooked ground beef, carrots, onions, peppers, garlic and seasoning.
8. Add Cabbage and Liquid:
9. Add the chopped cabbage, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (if using), and water. Stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the cabbage from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
   30 minutes
10. A pot with cooked ground beef, vegetables and cabbage on a stove top
11. Check for Doneness:
12. Uncover and check the texture of the cabbage. If necessary, increase the heat to medium-high and cook for an additional 5–7 minutes to evaporate excess liquid and finish cooking.
    5–7 minutes
13. A braiser with cooked ground meat and cabbage dish on a stove top
14. Garnish and Serve:
15. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or fresh herbs before serving.

Cooking notes

When scaling protein-led dishes, weigh the meat rather than counting pieces, and remember that the pan size limits how much you can sear at once.

For volume-to-weight conversions of any ingredient — flour, sugar, butter, salts — use the ingredient converter. To translate the recipe's oven temperature between °C, °F and gas mark, see the temperature converter.

When you scale this recipe up or down, remember that cooking time does not scale linearly. A doubled cake takes longer, but not twice as long; a doubled soup takes roughly twice as long. The cooking-time guide gives sensible starting estimates by dish geometry.