-
Prep time
30 minutes
-
Cook time
1 hour 20 minutes
-
Serves
6
Author Notes
This simple stuffed cabbage recipe is hearty, delicious, and ultra riffable. It’s also a complete meal, baked directly into a casserole, and makes excellent leftovers. Green or savoy cabbage will work best here, and feel free to use a mix of ground pork, beef, or even lamb. The recipe below calls for all pork, but whatever you prefer or have on hand will do. —Noah Tanen
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
1/2 cup
short grained white rice, rinsed and drained
-
2 pounds
ground pork
-
1 cup
diced onion
-
4
cloves garlic, grated
-
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
smoked paprika
-
1/4 teaspoon
chili flakes
-
1 tablespoon
fresh dill, chopped
-
1
egg
-
1
whole cabbage head
-
1
28 oz. can tomato puree
-
salt and pepper to taste
-
1/2 cup
water
-
fresh dill and sour cream, for serving (optional)
Directions
-
Start by par-boiling the rice. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the washed rice. Let boil for 5 minutes before draining and running under cold water. Set aside.
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. For the filing, add the ground pork, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chili flakes, chopped dill, and egg to a large bowl. With clean hands, mix thoroughly until incorporated. Set aside.
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, use a paring knife to cut the core out of the cabbage. Add the whole head of cabbage to the water, and let boil for 2-3 minutes. The outer leaves of the cabbage will start to come loose, and you should be able to peel them away and out of the water with a pair of tongs. Set aside and repeat the process, letting the outer leaves become soft before removing. You should have enough filling for 12-14 cabbage rolls. Any leftover cabbage can be removed from the water and saved for another recipe.
-
Once the cabbage leaves are cool, add about 3 tablespoons of the filling to each. Holding the cabbage leaf lengthwise away from you, fold in the sides and roll into a tight log. Set aside and repeat with each leaf, keeping the seam side down.
-
Add the can of tomato puree to a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour half of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom. Add the cabbage rolls, seam side down and packed tightly together. Add ½ cup of water to the remaining sauce and pour evenly over the arranged cabbage rolls. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and put into the preheated oven for 1 hr, or until the rolls are cooked through and the tomato sauce is reduced. Serve immediately, with optional sour cream and extra fresh dill to garnish.
See what other Food52ers are saying.