Ingredients:
1 large head of cabbage
2 tablespoons olive oil/butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoons, dill
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
8 bay leaves
1 can (about 800ml) sauerkraut, rinse and squeezed dry
1 can (about 800ml) diced tomatoes
1 can condense tomatoes juice (about 800ml)
1 cup of water
6 strips smoked bacon
Instructions:
There are two different method for preparing the cabbage rolling.
One is to core the cabbage and steam the whole heads until tender. The other is to freeze the raw heads of cabbage in advance. The leaves will soften as they defrost. This is a easier method, but you do need to plan 2 day ahead.
Prepare The Cabbage Using The Freezer Method:
Rinse the heads of cabbage and peel away the 2 outermost leaves and discard them.
Pat dry and wrap them tightly with plastic wrap.
Place the wrapped heads in a freezer bag and freeze until solid, 12 to 18 hours (depending on your freezer).
Allow at least 24 hours for the cabbages to defrost in the refrigerator on a shallow pan as they release a lot of water as they thaw.
Prepare The Cabbage Using The Steam Method:
Remove the cores and 2 outermost leaves from the head of cabbage.
Add 2 to 3 inches of water to a large pot fitted with a steaming rack.
Bring the water to a boil and place a head of cabbage in the pot.
Cover and steam for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the leaves are tender enough to separate and roll.
It may be helpful to remove the cabbage midway through the cooking time, remove a few of the most tender outer leaves and return the head to the pot to finish cooking.
Trim the cabbage leaves:
Continue preparing the cabbage leaves for rolling by removing them from the heads, layer by layer. Set the leaves aside, blotting any excess moisture with a kitchen towel as you work.
Reserve the remaining cabbage for chopping.
To ensure easy rolling, it’s best to pare away the thickest portion of the center vein of each cabbage leaf using a paring knife. Reserve the veins for cooking later.
Prepare the filling:
Heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the uncooked rice and stir until nicely coated with oil. Continue cooking, stirring continually, for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, dill and parsley. Continue to sauté until the rice is lightly toasted and golden in color, 5 to 5 minutes more. Be sure to stir continually to prevent the garlic from browning. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
Place the pork and beef in a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper and the cooled onion-rice mixture. Using your hands, combine thoroughly, making sure that the seasonings and rice are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
Make the cabbage rolls:
To roll the cabbage, place a leaf, inner side up on a towel.
Place 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture at the bottom, center of the leaf.
Roll up, using just enough pressure to make a firm roll without splitting the leaf.
Using a paring knife, trim away the sides of the cabbage leaf, leaving about 3/4-inch of unfilled cabbage on either side for tucking in to the meat (see below for making the rolls). Set aside the trimmings for cooking later.
Using your thumb and middle finger on either side of the roll, gently tuck the ends of the cabbage into the meat mixture, forming sort of a dimple on each end. Set the finished rolls aside as you work.
Baking the Cabbage Rolls:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place a thick layer of the chopped cabbage-sauerkraut-tomato mixture in the bottom of baking pot or casserole. Layer some cabbage rolls on top, keeping them 1/2-inch or so from the sides of the pot. It’s fine for them to be close together.
Add another, thinner layer of chopped cabbage, then more cabbage rolls and couple of bay leaves, repeating as needed, finishing with a layer of chopped cabbage and bay leaves.
Pour 2 more cups of tomato juice evenly over the rolls and around the edges of the pot, making sure all the rolls are moistened. It is not necessary for the rolls or chopped cabbage to be submerged in liquid.
Lay the bacon strips over the top and cover tightly. Bake for 2 hours, checking midway through the cooking time to see if more tomato juice is needed to keep the rolls moist.
After 2 hours, test one of the cabbage rolls to see if the rice is tender. If not, return the pot to the oven for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Recipe Notes:
You’ll note that the only seasoning listed in our instructions is added to the meat-rice mixture. The diced tomatoes and tomato juice contain quite a bit of salt as does the bacon that’s layered on top, so resist the urge to add more than call for. A few extra grinds of black pepper can’t hurt though.
Regarding cooking vessels – we cook our stuffed cabbage in large baking pot or casserole. The important thing is to cover it tightly. If you don’t have a tight fitting lid, use heavy duty aluminum foil and be certain to check for excessive evaporation.