STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
- 1 large head green cabbage (about 4lbs)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ onion, sliced (reserve for top)
- 2 tbsp oil for chopped onions
- 2 tbsp oil for sliced onions
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 ½ cup rice, cooked (3/4c raw – Mom always said use ½ cup raw rice for each pound of meat)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- garlic powder (or fresh garlic finely chopped sauteed with chopped onions)
- 1 or 2 (10oz) cans condensed tomato soup
- 1 (28oz) can pear tomatoes squished
- 2 ½ cup water
Remove core from cabbage. Parboil the cabbage in a kettle of boiling water 10 to 15 minutes, or until outer leaves are easily removable. Remove the first 12 leaves. Make sure the cabbage is cooked well enough so leaves will not break when rolled, but not so well that they disintegrate. I usually microwave it niw. Take core out of cabbage. Rinse and wrap with plastic wrap. Microwave for a few minutes then turn over and microwave some more until outer leaves are getting soft. Watch so you don’t burn it. Open plastic and let cool until you can peel off leaves. Take all cooked leaves off and wrap the remaining head with plastic wrap and microwave again following procedures above. You can either boil it on the stove or microwave it to remove the leaves – your choice. If you can’t get enough large-enough-to-stuff leaves from one cabbage (about 30), parboil two. Cut thick center stem from each leaf.
Saute chopped onion in oil. Let cool. Add meat (don’t cook), cooked rice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Place a heaping tablespoon or more (depending on size of cabbage leaf) on each cabbage leaf. Fold the stalk end over the filling; then fold the sides of the leaf over. Roll the stuffing and leave from the stalk end to make a neat parcel. Place the largest couple of outer leaves and smallest center leaves just to cover the bottom of a large Dutch oven or roasting pan. Put in cabbage rolls join side down. Pack fairly tightly in pan. Cover rolls with remaining cabbage creating a top so the rolls don’t scorch.
Pour squished Roma tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes) over cabbage rolls. Combine tomato soup with water, mix until smooth. Pour over cabbage rolls. Take ½ onion, slice and saute (with a little sliced fresh garlic if you wish) in about 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent. Sprinkle onions over top of cabbage rolls, and pour any remaining olive oil over top. Salt and pepper top. Cover and slow roast (300-325 degrees) 3 to 4 hours. Check after about 1 ½ to 2 hours to make sure it still has liquid – add water if needed.