Braised Spareribs with Cabbage

I’m not a big fan of cabbage unless it’s for Korean pickles, or kimchi, so when this recipe from The New York Times called for Savoy cabbage, I used Napa instead because it gets tender faster especially when braised.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of beef spareribs, cut into individual ribs, excess fat removed
1 Napa cabbage, chopped
1 cup of dry white wine
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
3 dried red chilis
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Heat a big casserole. Add oil. Add garlic and chilis until they sizzle nicely.
2. Add ribs, meat side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown both sides of the ribs. Remove to a plate.
3. Pour off excess fat and add cabbage. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Cook cabbage until slightly brown and then add white wine, stirring to release brown bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole.
4. Return ribs to the pot and adjust heat to simmer slowly. Cover. Cook for at least 45 minutes checking and stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture does not dry out. Add a little water if it starts to; use chicken stock instead if you have some handy.