Salt the cabbage and pepper first and let them sit for an hour or so. Drain, heat the vinegar/water/sugar/spices just enough to dissolve everything, pour it over, toss and chill.

Active work: maybe 10–15 minutes. Give it an hour or two and it'll be quite good; overnight would be even better.

There is actually an even more interesting historical direction: the 1936-style hot-dressed pepper cabbage. That version salts the cabbage, drains it, then makes a dressing from fat/butter, flour, vinegar, sugar, dry mustard and egg yolk and pours it over the cabbage. It can be served immediately.