The Smuggler's Journal

Cheapest thing on this list and one of the best - a whole cabbage, smoked low and slow, basted in bacon butter until it's smoky and silky through the middle.

What you need

One whole green cabbage, core removed, and a bacon butter baste (butter, rendered bacon fat, seasoning).

Smuggler's Pick (and two ways to run it)

Every good smuggler runs a few routes. Pick the one that suits your crew:

• The Classic Run — Misty Gully Bacon Salt: melted through the butter baste.
• The Garlic Route — Butchers Axe Woodlands Garlic Seasoning Rub: seasoned onto the cabbage before it hits the smoker.
• The Heat Run — your favourite Hot Sauce: a few drops through the butter for a spicy finish.

Method

1. Core the cabbage from the base without cutting all the way through.
2. Melt butter with rendered bacon fat and seasoning, pour into the cored cavity and baste the outside.
3. Smoke whole at 120°C for 2-2.5 hours, basting every 30 minutes, until a skewer slides through the centre easily.
4. Rest 10 minutes, then quarter and serve with extra bacon butter spooned over.

Serve it with

Ribs or pulled pork - it's rich enough to hold its own as a side, not just a garnish.

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