Stuffed Cabbage
good ol’ fashioned comfort food
I learned to make these for a friend who was interested in a Polish gentleman. I will never know how authentically Polish this recipe is (since I myself have not one Polish bone in my body), but I know I’ve enjoyed it. You will too! Pull it out any given Tuesday, but also on New Year’s Day for a good luck meal (cabbage signifies cash). For another good luck inspired meal try Hopping John Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.
cooking information
- Yield: 10-12 Rolls
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cooking Time: 1 hour
all ingredients
- 1 Head of Green Cabbage
- 1 lb Ground Pork
- ½ lb Ground Beef
- 1 Small Onion
- ½ cup Cooked Rice
- 2 Eggs
- 4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Large Can Tomato Juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Butter
recipe instruction
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fill a large saucepot with water and bring to a boil.
3. Finely chop your small onion.
4. In a large sauté pan add 2 Tablespoons of butter and turn to medium high heat.
5. Once the butter has melted, add your fresh thyme and onions. Sauté until onions are tender.
6. When your onions are cooked, add your ground pork and ground beef. Cook half-way and place in a mixing bowl. Let cool.
7. Add your eggs. Remove the fresh thyme stem from the meat mixture. Add approximately 1-2 tsp salt and a dash of ground pepper. Mix all together.
8. Prepare your rice. (I like to use the pre-cooked rice that I can just microwave.) Once your rice is ready, mix together with your ground meat.
9. Next, prepare your cabbage leaves. First slice the core end off of the head of the cabbage. Slice the cabbage in half. Peel as many leaves off of the cabbage as you can.
10. When your leaves are ready and your water is boiling, sprinkle salt into the water. Place your leaves in the water for about 30 seconds and quickly remove. Set aside.
11. In a baking dish, coat the bottom with tomato juice.
12. Now you can begin assembling your stuffed cabbage. Lay your leaf in front of you. Place 2 big spoonfuls of the meat mixture in the bottom half of the leaf. Fold the sides inward. Now roll your meat mixture up until it’s a nice little pocket. Place in your tomato juice baking dish.
13. Assemble the rest.
14. Once all of them are assembled, pour the rest of the tomato juice on top and cover with aluminum foil. Finish cooking in the oven.
15. Cook for 1 hour and baste half way through the cooking process with the surrounding tomato juice.
16. After the hour is up remove from the oven. Rest, spoon, and serve!
cooking tips
- The stuffed cabbage can be made a day in advanced and then cooked in the oven the day of service.
- This dish is usually served as a main course, but you could always slice them in half and serve on a spoon as an appetizer.
- You can always use whatever meat you like the best. Venison, veal, or more beef will always work for this recipe.
