Stuffed Cabbage Polish/Ukranian
- 2 heads Green Cabbage
- 3 pounds Ground Chuck
- 1- 1/2 pound Ground Pork
- 1/2 pounds Bacon
- 3 cups "Carolina Brand" Long Grain Rice (uncooked)
- 8 Medium Yellow Onions
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 4 cans (10.75 Oz. Cans) Tomato Soup
- 12 ounces, fluid White Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Salt
- 3/4 Tablespoons Black Pepper
- In a large pot, bring about 6 quarts of salted water to a simmer.
- Remove the core from both heads of cabbage.
- Submerge one head of cabbage into the boiling water for about three minutes.
- Take a fork and begin peeling off the leaves of cabbage (rib end) from the head.
- Once the leaves are off of the head keep them in the water a few minutes to partially cook them.
- Remove the leaves until you are all the way down to about a baseball size core remaining.
- When the leaves are soft, remove them from the water.
- Repeat with the other head of cabbage.
- When you are done, keep the water that the cabbage was simmered in.
- Youll use some for the rice and the rest to simmer the cabbage rolls in.
- Cook the rice (according to package instructions) using the required amount of water (use the water left over from simmering the cabbage heads).
- When done, cool cooked rice to room temperature.
- In a pan over medium heat, render bacon until crisp.
- When done, set the bacon on a paper towel lined plate.
- Dice your yellow onions and mince the garlic.
- Saute them in the bacon drippings until slightly caramelized.
- Remove the outer tough rib from the cabbage leaves, being careful not to cut all the way thru.
- Just shave off the thick rib on the outside of each leaf to make it smooth.
- In a large bowl mix by hand the rice, ground meats, crumbled bacon, onions, garlic, 6 ounces of white vinegar and salt and pepper.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place a cabbage leaf flat in the open palm of your hand.
- Fill the leaf with meat/rice mixture using 6-8 ounces or more depending on size of leaf.
- Roll up the leaf and tuck in ends with your index or pinky finger.
- Place rolls in a large roaster pan one layer at a time.
- Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling.
- We usually have 2-3 layers.
- When done, cover the rolls with the remaining cabbage water.
- Make sure your top row is not covered with water, your ground meat will release liquid and you dont want an over flow.
- Use the remaining cabbage core leaves to cover the top to allow for steaming.
- Bake the rolls with the lid on, on the lower rack in oven, at 400 F for 1 hour.
- Then carefully remove as much liquid as you can from the roaster pan.
- Lower the heat in the oven to 325 F. Put the liquid into a large mixing bowl.
- Add tomato soup and remaining 4 ounces of white vinegar into the hot liquid.
- Stir well and then carefully pour the tomato soup liquid back into the roaster covering cabbage rolls.
- Return covered roaster to oven at 325 F and cook for an additional 90 minutes.
- Remove lid from the roaster and bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes.
- Enjoy!
cabbage, ground chuck, ground pork, bacon, rice, onions, garlic, tomato soup, white vinegar, salt, black pepper
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/stuffed-cabbage-polishukranian/ (may not work)