It becomes smoky. It becomes savory. It becomes the kind of side dish people keep scooping onto their plates even though they already said they were full. That’s exactly what happens with this Beer Braised Bacon Cabbage cooked on a Pit Boss grill. This recipe is backyard comfort food at its finest — simple ingredients, big flavor, and the kind of smell that makes neighbors suddenly wander over to see what’s cooking. Why Cabbage Loves the Grill Most people roast cabbage or boil it. But cooking cabbage on the grill in a cast iron pot creates something special. The cabbage slowly braises in butter, bacon fat, and beer while absorbing a subtle smoky flavor from the grill. The result is cabbage that is: • tender • rich • slightly sweet • smoky • deeply savory It’s the kind of flavor transformation that makes people say: “Wait… this is cabbage?” Yes. Yes it is.
Ingredients 4 cups green cabbage, chopped 2 cups red cabbage, chopped 1 lb bacon, diced 1 cup leeks, sliced 2 sticks butter 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons hot sauce 1 can beer 1 tablespoon Up North Peppery seasoning 1 package dip mix Ingredient Breakdown Green & Red Cabbage Using both types adds color and depth of flavor. Green cabbage becomes sweet and tender while red cabbage adds a slightly deeper earthy flavor. Bacon Let’s be honest — bacon improves almost everything. As it cooks, the bacon fat helps flavor the cabbage while adding smoky richness. Leeks Leeks add a mild onion flavor that blends beautifully into the dish. Butter Two sticks might seem like a lot… but remember, this is backyard comfort food. The butter melts into the cabbage and creates an incredibly rich braising liquid. Beer Beer adds depth and a slight malty flavor that balances the sweetness of the cabbage. How to Make Beer Braised Cabbage on the Grill Start by preparing a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven. Layer the chopped green and red cabbage inside the pot. Next add the diced bacon and sliced leeks. Place two sticks of butter across the top. Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, beer, seasoning, and the dip mix. Place the lid on the pot and set it directly on your Pit Boss grill at 350°F. Let everything cook for about 1½ hours. During that time, the cabbage will slowly soften while soaking up the smoky, buttery, bacon-filled braising liquid. Give it a stir once or twice if possible. By the time it’s done, the cabbage will be incredibly tender and the smell coming off the grill will be downright irresistible.
Backyard Grill Tips Use Cast Iron Cast iron holds heat beautifully and allows the cabbage to braise slowly while absorbing smoke. Don’t Rush the Cooking Time The longer cabbage cooks, the more tender and flavorful it becomes. Serving Ideas Beer Braised Cabbage pairs beautifully with: • grilled sausages • smoked pork chops • brisket • grilled chicken • burgers It’s also fantastic piled onto sandwiches. Variations to Try Once you make this recipe once, you’ll start experimenting. Try adding: • diced apples • caraway seeds • smoked sausage slices • garlic cloves • mustard Every variation creates a slightly different flavor. Final Thoughts from the Grill
This recipe proves one very important point: Vegetables cooked on the grill can be just as exciting as meat. Sometimes even more so. And when cabbage, bacon, butter, and beer get together on a Pit Boss grill, the result is pure backyard comfort food.
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Crispy? Chewy? Somewhere in the middle? You’re in control now. What You’ll Need
We’re not overcomplicating bacon. Ever. How to Cook Bacon the Midwest Grill’n Way
No notes. No disclaimers.
Why This Matters (More Than You Think) Bacon isn’t just breakfast. It’s a supporting actor, a garnish, a snack, and sometimes the main event. Griddled bacon:
A Quick Shoutout to Wisconsin Agriculture (Because This Is Important) None of this happens without farmers. Bacon starts long before it hits the griddle — and that’s something the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association celebrates every day. From family farms to agventures across the state, Wisconsin agriculture is the backbone of everything we love about Midwest food culture — including that sizzling bacon sound that makes people wander into the kitchen asking, “What are you making?” Supporting Wisconsin agriculture means:
Midwest Grill’n Truth
If your bacon isn’t on the griddle yet, you’re just preheating. Cooking bacon outside frees up your kitchen, feeds a crowd, and reminds everyone that grilling isn’t just for dinner — it’s an all-day commitment. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Snacks in between. The griddle’s ready.
With Cherry Habanero Sauce and cherry chutney. Now we’re cooking with confidence.
What You’ll Need (Minimal Effort, Maximum Respect) The Ham
How to Grill a Ham Like You Know What You’re Doing
Why This Ham Is a Problem (In a Good Way)
Sandwich Ideas (Because This Ham Deserves a Career)
Midwest Grill’n Truth Bomb If you’re not grilling ham yet, you’re leaving flavor on the table Plot Twist: Cranberries Just Walked In 🍒😎 Just when you think this ham has peaked… cranberries enter the chat. Before you glaze the ham (or right along with it, we’re flexible), add one small handful of dried cranberries to your glaze mixture. That’s it. That’s the move. Why This Works (Trust the Process)
How to Do It Without Overthinking It
What This Unlocks (Unexpected Benefits)
“Oh this? Yeah, it was easy.” Midwest Grill’n Mic Drop
If your ham doesn’t have a plot twist, are you even grilling? This cranberry addition takes the ham from “wow, that’s good” to “OK, I need the recipe.
Spam is returning like bell-bottoms and emotional damage. Habanero cheese? Feta? Mozzarella? We’re stacking cheeses like Midwest taxes in April. This pizza hurts a little and heals a little. Just like love. ❤️🔥 Ingredients Gather these like a raccoon in a gas station snack aisle:
Directions (Follow these instructions like a love letter to chaos)
Or beer. Probably beer.
Flavor Breakdown This pizza tastes like: 🔥 A dare 🔥 A prank you meant seriously 🔥 The moment pride overrides common sense 🔥 Heat that builds like Midwest small talk 🔥 Glory Spam brings the salt, the nostalgia, the “I survived college on this” memories. Cheese cools the burn THEN betrays you by encouraging more bites. Hot peppers? They judge no one — they just burn everyone equally. When to Serve
“We’re out of pepperoni, screw it — chaos pizza!” Expected Dinner Table Quotes “Who put SPAM on pizza?” “Wait… why is this good?” “It’s spicy — give me more.” “I feel alive.”
Bonus Twist — Cranberry Drizzle (optional but dangerous) YES. Cranberries again. Imagine a little sweetness cutting through the burn like a snowmobile through slush.
Final Words
This pizza is unhinged. This pizza is love. This pizza is what happens when the Midwest gets bored. Mad Dog & Merrill® Midwest Grill’n — where even SPAM gets a spotlight.
It screams backyard cookout, dock party, "fine, we’re using the leftover ham," and midwestern rebellion all at once. If Jimmy Buffet, Door County, and a Packers tailgate had a baby -- this is what the child would eat. Ingredients (Gather like you’re prepping for a luau in Wisconsin)
Directions — A Midwest Art Form
If someone says “I don’t like pineapple on pizza,” give them one bite and watch their worldview collapse.
What It Tastes Like ☀ Pineapple = summer vacation you didn’t take 🔥 Ham = backyard Saturday 🌶 Peppers = garden flex 🧀 Swiss = class 🍒 Cranberries = Midwest identity crisis (the fun kind) Each bite is sweet, savory, smoky -- like Hawaii moved to Wisconsin and immediately bought a snow blower. Perfect For
Expected Conversation at the Table “Is that… pineapple?” “WITH ham?” “AND peppers?” “…are those CRANBERRIES?” two minutes of silence “Give me another slice.” Final Thoughts This pizza is fun. Unhinged. Sweet and smoky like a bonfire romance. It’s colorful, cheerful, and borderline disrespectful to tradition — exactly how Mad Dog & Merrill like it. Grill it. Eat it. Take a picture first — you’ll need proof later. Mad Dog & Merrill® Midwest Grill’n --
Where fruit, meat, cheese, and chaos live together in harmony. |
RecipesInternationally recognized and self-proclaimed "Grillologists," Mad Dog & Merrill®, entertain and educate thousands of backyard enthusiasts every year with the finer points of grilling on America’s Favorite Grill’n Show. They want nothing more than to make everyone a better griller and have a ton of fun doing it! 
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