SARMA (CROATIAN SAUERKRAUT ROLLS)

Sarma (Croatian Sauerkraut Rolls) image

Provided by nitko

Time 4h

Yield 15 portions, 15 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

1500 g sauerkraut (the whole head)
2 cups brine (from sauerkraut) (optional)
500 g ground beef
500 g ground pork
200 g ground bacon
2 eggs
15 g salt
10 g black pepper (powder)
150 g onions
125 g rice
300 g sauerkraut (sliced)
500 g pork ribs (smoked and dried)
300 g bacon (dried, smoked)
5 g lard
3 g flour
2 g paprika (red, dried)

Steps:

Take the whole sauerkraut head and remove leaves carefully avoiding damaging them. 1500 g should give about 20 to 25 sarmas. Cut the thick part at the bottom of each leaf (cut it triangularly).
Mix grounded beef, pork and bacon. Add two eggs and very finely minced onion. Cook rice until half done and add into meat. Add salt, pepper and mix hard.
Take leaf of sauerkraut and put meat in it and make a small package making sure to close ends. I don't know how to explain it but you have to press leaf end into. Do it until you have enough meat or leaves.
Take a really large pot and start to put sarmas in it. At the bottom put smoked bacon skins if you have any, than one layer of sarmas, one layer bacon or pork ribs. Also add sliced sauerkraut in between. After you lay all sarmas and bacon, ribs and sliced sauerkraut, pour 2 cups of brine over everything (this is optional, my family like really sour sauerkraut that's why I've put it).
Cook for about 1 hour on mild fire. Some people, and I'm among them like to add this: take small pan, melt lard and fry flour until brownish - add paprika and some cold water and make creamy stuff (we call this "ajmbren"). Add this into sarma and cook 2 to 3 hours.
The best sarma in the next day, not the day you've cooked it. You can eat sarma up to whole week; you can also freeze portions. We eat cooked potato on lard and onion with it called "restani krumpir".