Cabbage rolls stuffed with beef, pork and rice and smothered in a sweet and sour tomato sauce. Pure Polish comfort food.
Cabbage Rolls
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T tomato paste
Splash dry red wine
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 large egg
1 1/2 C steamed white rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
2 large heads green cabbage, about 3 pounds each
Sweet and sour tomato sauce (see below)
Sauté the onion and garlic in oil for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the tomato paste, wine, parsley, and 1/2 cup of the prepared sweet and sour tomato sauce. Mix to incorporate and then remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, egg, cooked rice, and the sauteed onion mixture. Mix together with your hands and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Remove the large, damaged outer leaves from the cabbages and reserve. Remove the cabbage cores with a sharp knife and carefully pull off all the rest of the leaves, keeping them whole and as undamaged as possible. Discard the small leaves and use them for another recipe. Blanch the cabbage in the pot of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, or until pliable. Run the leaves under cool water and carefully lay them out. Cut out the center vein from the leaves so they will be easier to roll up. Take the reserved big outer leaves and lay them on the bottom of a casserole pan, let part of the leaves hang over the sides of the pan to prevent the cabbage rolls from burning on the bottom of the pan. Place 1/2 cup of the meat filling in the center of the cabbage and starting at what was the stem-end, fold in the sides and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling. Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam-side down, in a casserole pan.
Pour the remaining sweet and sour tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls. Fold the hanging leaves over the top. Bake for 1 hour in 350 degree oven until the meat is cooked.
Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 quarts crushed tomatoes
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Sauté the onion and garlic in oil for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the tomato paste, wine, parsley, and 1/2 cup of the prepared sweet and sour tomato sauce. Mix to incorporate and then remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, egg, cooked rice, and the sauteed onion mixture. Mix together with your hands and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Remove the large, damaged outer leaves from the cabbages and reserve. Remove the cabbage cores with a sharp knife and carefully pull off all the rest of the leaves, keeping them whole and as undamaged as possible. Discard the small leaves and use them for another recipe. Blanch the cabbage in the pot of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, or until pliable. Run the leaves under cool water and carefully lay them out. Cut out the center vein from the leaves so they will be easier to roll up. Take the reserved big outer leaves and lay them on the bottom of a casserole pan, let part of the leaves hang over the sides of the pan to prevent the cabbage rolls from burning on the bottom of the pan. Place 1/2 cup of the meat filling in the center of the cabbage and starting at what was the stem-end, fold in the sides and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling. Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam-side down, in a casserole pan.
Pour the remaining sweet and sour tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls. Fold the hanging leaves over the top. Bake for 1 hour in 350 degree oven until the meat is cooked.
Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 quarts crushed tomatoes
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Sauté the garlic in oil for 1 minute in large saucepan. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar. Simmer, until slightly thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
No comments:
Post a Comment