Cabbage rolls are popular in Poland and Ukraine. The dish consists of minced meat, usually beef or pork, wrapped in cabbage leaves like a burrito. The rolls are cooked in a tomato sauce and served with sour cream. You can easily put an American spin on it to adjust the taste to your flavor palate.
After following the steps below, you will end up with a hefty comfort meal that is not very common in the western hemisphere. You can use this recipe to surprise your friends and family, or make your Ukrainian and Polish friends feel more at home. Finally, if you want to try something new, why not make some cabbage rolls?
How to make Cabbage Rolls?
Boil some water and salt it.
Beat an egg with milk in a bowl.
Add ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion to the bowl.
In a different bowl, mix tomato sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.
Remove the core from the cabbage and place the cabbage in the boiling water for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
Take as many cabbage leaves as you need and let them cool.
Scoop approximately 4 tablespoons of meat into a cabbage leaf and roll it up.
Grab a casserole dish and pour the sauce inside.
Place the cabbage rolls in the dish and pour some more sauce on top.
Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for an hour.
Grate some cheese over the rolls and serve!
What do traditional cabbage rolls contain?
Traditional cabbage rolls contain a mix of minced beef and pork. The meat is mixed with a grain like rice or barley, as well as parsley, salt, pepper, carrot, onion, and egg. The rolls are cooked in the oven or on the stove.
Are cabbage rolls Middle Eastern?
Stuffed cabbage rolls are a popular speciality in the Middle East as well. Though the method of preparation is similar to those from Poland and Ukraine, the flavor profile is quite distinct. In Lebanon, people use beef and lamb to make the best rolls. They mix the meat with rice, olive oil, garlic, cinnamon, and lemon.
What sauce do you use for cabbage rolls?
Cabbage rolls require a special tomato sauce that’s made using a mix of different ingredients. We invite you to use store-bought or homemade tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice to create the best tasting concoction.
Ingredients
- For the Filling:
- 8-10 cabbage leaves
- 1 lb of lean ground beef
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 1/2 tsp of pepper
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup of rice
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 1 beaten egg
- cheese of your choice for toppings
- For the Sauce:
- 1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp of brown sugar
- 2 tbsp of ketchup
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of salted water.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and milk. Combine the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and rice.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Mix until it’s well combined.
- Cutting deeply at a 45 degree angle, remove the core of the cabbage. Place it in the boiling water and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove 8 – 10 leaves. Allow the leaves to cool completely.
- Lay out a cabbage leaf and scoop about 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) of the mixture in. Roll it up.
- Pour a layer of sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the cabbage rolls in, side by side, and cover them with the remaining sauce. Place a lid, or a piece of aluminum foil, on the dish. Place it in a 350 degree F preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and grate your favourite cheese on top. Serve, and enjoy your cabbage rolls.
Nutrition
Calories: 488 | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 431mg | Potassium: 895mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 66.1mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 3.3mg
