Best Grandma Elaines Unstuffed Sweet Sour Cabbage Recipes

GRANDMA ELAINE'S UNSTUFFED SWEET & SOUR CABBAGE

Steps:

• Use Large Stock Pot and wooden spoon.
• Wash cabbage, cut off core. Cut cabbage in half horizontally. Take core out and cut.
• cabbage in 3 inch chunks.
• Cook sliced onions in oil until translucent.
• Add can of whole tomatoes, stir and chop slightly with spoon. Add tomato sauce, half of salt, half of pepper, and mix.
• Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.
• Then add cabbage and stir and push cabbage down into the sauce.
• Cover pot and continue to simmer approx 1 hour till you can mix cabbage around in the sauce.
• In large bowl mix ground beef with chopped onion, 1 1/2 level teaspoons salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 eggs, rice, and water. Mix well with hands.
• If too mushy, add a little more rice. Form golf ball size meat balls, and then store briefly in refrigerator to get firmer.
• Place meatballs on top of cabbage on sauce. Cover and simmer approx 15 minutes till meatballs feel firm.
• Then gently mix meat balls into sauce. Let pot simmer for approx 45 minutes, then add lemon. Taste for lemon taste, if not add more lemon.
• Then add raisins, honey, and then sugar a little at time to taste. Cook for another 15 minutes, then mix gently, uncover and remove from heat.
• Try not to eat right away so flavors can infuse. Tastes better when eaten the second day, but don't overheat. Only reheat what you will eat at that sitting.
• This freezes well.

UNSTUFFED SWEET-AND-SOUR CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place cabbage in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet with broth, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered, turning cabbage occasionally, until very tender, about 45 minutes. (Add more broth or water if necessary.)
• Meanwhile, cook onion and remaining garlic in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in ground meats along with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.
• Pour sauce into skillet with cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

GRANDMA'S HUNGARIAN STUFFED CABBAGE, SLOW COOKER VARIATION

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook cabbage in boiling water until outer leaves pull away easily from the head, 3 to 5 minutes. Separate leaves and let cool. Reserve 1 1/2 cup cooking water.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in wet rice; cook and stir until moisture evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool, about 5 minutes.
• Mix beef, sausage, and egg together in a large bowl. Stir in cooled rice mixture.
• Place a golfball-sized amount of the beef mixture on the ribbed end of a cabbage leaf; roll up, tucking in the sides. Repeat with remaining beef mixture and cabbage leaves.
• Place rolls seam-side down in a slow cooker. Cover with tomato juice. Pour reserved cooking water on top.
• Cook on High for 30 minutes. Switch to Low and cook for 6 1/2 hours.

SWEET AND SOUR STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Boil the heads of cabbage, one at a time, until softened but still firm, about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Combine the ground beef, eggs, cooked rice, 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup ketchup in a bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined.
• Prepare the cabbage leaves by shaving a slice off of the large vein in the center of the leaves so they'll be easier to roll. Place a heaping spoonful of the filling in the center of the leaf. Fold in the left and right edges and roll up the leaf from the bottom, forming a tight cylinder. Secure with toothpicks if necessary. Continue filling and rolling the leaves; save the smaller cabbage leaves and set them aside.
• Chop the reserved cabbage leaves. Place the chopped cabbage in a large pot. Add the sliced onion, crushed tomatoes, raisins, sour salt (citric acid powder), salt and pepper, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder. Stir in 1/2 cup of white sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness, if desired, by adding the additional 1/2 cup of sugar. Place the cabbage rolls into the sauce. Pour the remaining 1 cup of ketchup on top of the rolls. Cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook the rolls for 3 hours, basting the rolls every half hour.

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLL

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef and onion in the hot Dutch oven until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Add cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, garlic, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover Dutch oven, reduce heat, and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes.