Description
Stuffed cabbage rolls are the kind of recipe that takes a bit of patience to assemble but rewards you with one of the most comforting braises in all of Eastern European cooking. Blanched cabbage leaves wrapped around a seasoned meat-and-rice filling, nestled in a tomato sauce, and baked until the cabbage is silky and the filling is tender. Every grandmother from Warsaw to Budapest has a version, and they are all good.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 large head green cabbage
- 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Sour cream for serving
- Fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Core the cabbage and carefully lower it into the water. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, peeling off leaves as they soften. You need about 12 large leaves. Trim the thick center rib of each leaf so it rolls easily.
- Mix the ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme until just combined.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Place about 1/3 cup filling on each cabbage leaf near the base. Fold the sides in and roll up tightly. Place seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls, making sure each one is covered.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a scattering of fresh dill.
Notes
- Trimming the thick center rib of each cabbage leaf is the step that prevents cracking and makes rolling easy — do not skip it.
- The sweet-sour balance of the tomato sauce from brown sugar and vinegar is what defines this dish. Taste and adjust until it sings.
- These freeze exceptionally well. Assemble, freeze in sauce in a foil pan, and bake from frozen adding 20 extra minutes.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 780
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 90