Stuffed Cabbage
Why I Love This Recipe
makes 2 large casserole dishes, about 30 rolls
Ingredients You'll Need
3 large heads of cabbage
3 lbs ground beef (80% lean)
3 large eggs
1 c uncooked white rice
1 large onion, finely minced
Salt and pepper
Sauce:
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c water
Salt and pepper
Directions
Core heads of cabbage and carefully peel off whole leaves (this is maddening and reminiscent of those annoying people who try to open gifts without ripping the paper). Plunge leaves into boiling water until soft enough to roll. Cut out hard white core at the bottom of each leaf to make rolling easier.
Meanwhile, mix beef, rice, eggs, onion and salt (more than you think you'll need) and pepper.
Place whole leaves (the slightly ripped ones work great) on the bottom of 2 large casserole dishes. Next, take a mound of the beef mixture and mold it into a fat little log and place it at the bottom of each leaf. Roll it up like and egg roll or a burrito. Lay down in rows on top of cabbage leaves in the casserole dish. Continue rolling until all meat mixture or cabbage leaves are used, or dishes are full.
At the same time, simmer all sauce ingredients until boiling and slightly reduced. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Pour about half the sauce over the rolls and cover tightly with foil. Save the other half of the sauce for later. Bake covered dishes at 350 for about 1.5 hours or until bubbling, sauce has reduced and they are cooked through.
Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then serve, spooning sauce over top of rolls
The extra sauce is for re-heating or in case they dry out while cooking.