STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS - POLISH STYLE

STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS - POLISH STYLE image

Categories Beef Pork

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

SWEET AND SOUR TOMATO SAUCE
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves smashed
1 1/2 quarts crushed tomatoes
1 Tbs white wine vinegar (more added to taste)
1 Tbs sugar
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
CABBAGE ROLLS
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs tomato paste
Splash dry red wine
2 Tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
1 pound ground beef (or bison)
1 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups steamed white rice (or bread crumbs...I used Ezekial bread)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads green cabbage, about 3 pounds each

Steps:

Coat 3 quart saucepan w/ the oil & place over med heat. Add garlic & saute for 1 min. Add tomatoes & cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins. Add vinegar & sugar; simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 mins. Season w/ salt & pepper & remove from heat. Place a skillet over med heat & coat w/ 2 Tbs olive oil. Saute onion & garlic for about 5 mins, until soft. Stir in tomato paste, a splash of wine, parsley, & 1/2 cup of prepared sweet & sour sauce, mix to incorporate & then take it off heat. Combine ground meat in large mixing bowl. Add egg, cooked rice, & sauteed onion mix. Toss filling together w/ hands to combine, season w/ generous amount of salt & pepper. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove large, damaged outer leaves from cabbage & set aside. Cut out cores of cabbages w/ sharp knife carefully pull off rest of leaves, keeping them whole & as undamaged as poss (get rid of all small leaves). Blanch cabbage leaves in a pot of boiling water for 5 mins, or until pliable. Run them under cool water & then lay them out so you can assess how many blankets you have to wrap up filling. Next, carefully cut out center vein from leaves so they will be easier to roll-up, Take reserved big outer leaves & lay them on bottom of casserole pan, let part of leaves hang out sides of pan. This insulation will prevent cabbage rolls from burning at bottom when they bake. Use all of good looking leaves to make cabbage rolls. Put about 1/2 cup of meat filling in center of cabbage & starting at what was stem-end, fold sides in & roll up cabbage to enclose filling. Place cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam-side down, in a casserole pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour remaining tomato sauce over cabbage rolls. Fold hanging leaves over top to enclose & keep moisture in. Drizzle top w? olive oil. Bake for 1 hr until meat is cooked.