Smoked Cabbage Wedge with Bacon Vinaigrette (More Fun with Pit-Smoking!)

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Smoked Cabbage Wedge with Bacon Vinaigrette

1 head of cabbage
1 stick of butter (plus more at room temperature, to smear)
BBQ seasoning (or salt and pepper)
6 thick slices of bacon (or about 8 to 10 normal ones)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
a drizzle of maple syrup
salt
freshly ground black pepper
chopped chives to finish

Cut out the core of the cabbage into roughly the shape of a stick of butter. Season the stick of butter all over with the seasoning, then wrap it in bacon and shove it into the cavity. Rub the outside of the cabbage with more butter, just to coat, and coat the whole thing in a healthy sprinkle of the bbq seasoning.

Place it in a smoker (I used pecan, but this will hold up well with a lot of woods -- and honestly if you're smoking some ribs or chicken or something and want to throw this in there with it, it will work really well) -- ideally between 240 and 275 degrees fahrenheit, with the core of the cabbage sticking up.

Smoke for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, then wrap the whole thing in foil and finish it in the smoker or an oven and cook it until it is totally tender. (You can raise the heat in an oven up to 350°F if you want to.)

While your cabbage is cooking, chop up the remaining bacon and place it in a pot over medium heat to render until it is crispy and the fat has rendered out. Strain out the crispy bacon and save the bacon fat for the vinaigrette.

Place the mustard seeds and vinegar in a sauce pot and simmer them, covered, for about 20 minutes to bloom the mustard seeds.

Add the bacon fat to a mixing bowl along with the maple syrup, a pinch of salt and a few twists of black pepper. Whisk in the cider vinegar and mustard seeds until you have a flavorful, well balanced vinaigrette, adding more salt, pepper and maple syrup as desired.

Cut the cabbage into wedges and serve it warm, topped with the vinaigrette, crispy bacon and chives.