Stuffed cabbage /Golabki
Makes about 18 Polish Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients:
• 1 medium head cabbage
• water to cover
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ lb ground pork
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup cooked rice
• garlic powder to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• water to cover
DIRECTIONS
-
Sauté the chopped onion in butter in a large frying pan until tender, and let it cool. - Place the head of cabbage in a large pot over high heat and add water to cover. Boil cabbage for 15 minutes, or until it is pliable and soft. Drain and allow to cool completely. Remove the hard outer vein from the leaves.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the beef, rice, garlic powder, sautéed onions and the egg, mixing well. Place a small amount, about the size of your palm, into the center of a cabbage leaf and fold leaf over, tucking in the sides of the leaf to keep meat mixture inside.
- Pile up the filled leaves in a large pot, putting the larger leaves on the bottom. Add the tomato juice, vinegar and sugar and enough water to cover. Simmer over medium low heat for about 60 minutes. (Note: Keep an eye on them, making sure the bottom of leaves do not burn.)
Tips!
1.) Oil bottom of pan slightly and put in a layer of sauerkraut so cabbage does not burn.
2.) Top off with a little brown sugar to make it taste good. (not too much)!
3.) If you have some stale bread, soak it in milk till soft and add it to meat mixture. (use the bread if you do not have the rice handy)
4.) Use diced tomatoes or small pieces of tomatoes to cover cabbage.
5.) Use long grain brown rice instead of white rice.
6.) Use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.
7.) Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a Crock-Pot.
8.) When you make stuffed cabbage, instead of boiling the whole cabbage head, freeze it! Remove the tough outer leaves, rinse and core the cabbage. Place it in a zip-top plastic bag and freeze. When ready to use, defrost the cabbage and the leaves will peel off easily.