Vegetarians always have it rough at a summer barbecue. At the most, all you can hope for is some mushroom and eggplant kebabs, maybe corn on the cob and a sad store-bought veggie burger. But as the Epi team geared up for a summer of grilling—with steak burgers and Indian-spiced chicken kebabs, and grilled steak salads—I wanted more for my vegetarian brethren. Something as glorious as the flame-grilled steaks, burgers, and BBQ chicken that carnivores get to indulge in.
No meatless side dish would suffice. Vegetarians deserve something big, something stunning, something entrée size, I decided.
So I started to think about meat entrées I could make vegetarian (as I did around Thanksgiving with the Vegducken). I was already interested in creating a veggie version of pulled pork, and then I started thinking beer-can chicken. "Beer-Can Cabbage," Rhoda, our food director, suggested. Could I do that? Would it work? By God, I would try.
And thus, the BBQ Beer-Can Cabbage Sandwich was born. Sure, you might wonder if stuffing a hollowed-out head of cabbage with a can of beer is mere insanity. But I promise you it's a glorious thing, a vegetarian preparation truly worthy of the grill. The cabbage is steamed from beer hidden inside it, slathered with barbecue sauce as it cooks, and gets sweet and charred from the heat of the grill.
But that's just the beginning. To turn that cabbage into a hearty main dish, pull it off the grill, slice it into pork-like strips, stuff it into a sturdy Kaiser roll, and top it with a crunchy coleslaw (made from the cabbage trimmings, natch), plus rich cheddar cheese and spicy pickled jalapeños.
Ready to get cabbage grilling? Here's how to do it:
Where does that beer can go? Unlike a chicken, there's no natural place. But all of you have to do is use a paring knife to create a can-sized square (about 3 inches by 3 inches) around the cabbage's core, then use the knife and a spoon to scoop out the inside of this area until you have a hole deep enough for the can to fit halfway in (about 3 inches deep). An added benefit: you're going to turn those cabbage trimmings into a perfect coleslaw.
(Steamed cabbage is great, but it is no meat substitute.) To add a rich, meaty flavor to the final dish, I knew the smoky char of the grill was necessary. Basting the cabbage with barbecue sauce every 15 minutes keeps it moist and imparts that sweet, tangy flavor. Even better, as the barbecue sauce caramelizes, it turns the cabbage crispy and adds beautiful crunch to the end dish.
To turn the barbecued cabbage into an addictive sandwich, it needed a few extras. I went for a sturdy Kaiser roll, which could stand up to the messiness of the cabbage. Then I mixed the raw cabbage with carrot, red onion, mayonnaise, and seasonings for a bright and crunchy slaw. Each sandwich gets two slices of cheddar to add some body and richness to the sandwich. And to add some spice, I finished it off with some pickled jalapeños. The result is so smoky, spicy, messy, and sweet, even the most serious meat eater will love it. And every vegetarian at the cookout will love you.
