Cabbage rolls are a classic dish for many Eastern European countries. This recipe is the version from my Ukrainian family. Made with ground beef and ground pork in the rice stuffing.
Prep Time: 1 hourhour
Cook Time: 3 hourshours
Total Time: 4 hourshours
Servings: 14cabbage rolls (approx.)
Ingredients
1head of cabbage, frozen then thawed
1tbspoil
1/2onion, minced
4strips bacon, minced
2garlic cloves, minced
2cupsrice
1poundground pork
1/2poundground beef
1/2cancondensed tomato soup
1canwhole tomatoes, 28oz/796ml
2-3cupstomato juice
1 1/2tspsalt
1/2tsppepper
Instructions
Have the cabbage in the freezer for at least a week. To thaw, put the cabbage in the fridge for a couple days. On the day of making cabbage rolls, slowly peel one cabbage leaf off at a time. Cut/shave the large part of the spine off the one end of the leaf.
In a large saucepan, fry the bacon, onion and garlic until the onion is transparent and the bacon is starting to crisp up a bit.
In a separate pot, put the dry rice in plenty of boiling water. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain the rice and then rinse.
Put the rice back in the pot with bacon and onion mixture along with 1/2 cup water. Boil until the water evaporates.
Add the ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper and any other seasonings to your preference, to the rice and cook at medium heat. Stir it constantly to ensure rice doesn't stick.
Stir in half the can of tomato soup and remove from the heat.
Make the cabbage rolls - Look at the pictures above with the details that show how to roll up the cabbage roll.
Lay the cabbage rolls in a baking tray. Break up the whole tomatoes and spread over top of the cabbage rolls along with the juice from the can. Pour the tomato juice on top.