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Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

2 small cabbages, cored
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 1/2 cups cooked JASMINE rice (important!)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup beef stock (mixed somewhat strong if powder)
Paprika for garnish (and a little extra tang)
Sour cream, if desired

Preparation Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water (I use a fork and tongs). Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 24-26 leaves. (You can chop remaining cabbage and cook alongside the rolls if desired)
  3. Sauté the chopped onion in 2 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan until tender, and let it cool.
  4. Mix cooled onions with beef, pork, cooked jasmine rice, garlic, salt and black pepper until well combined. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough.
  5. Place approximately 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll. If you pare away some of the thickness at the base of the leaf, they will be compact and pretty)
  6. Butter casserole dish. Place the cabbage rolls next to the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven. Pour beef stock over rolls, cover and place in oven. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked.
  7. Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream (they really dont need it, but some people really like the extra calories!), or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.
  8. Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker (see your manufacturer's instructions).
Cabbage rolls