Cook Lithuanian Stuffed Cabbage
Edited by Timbuktu, Ephraim, Rebecca M., Nerissa Avisado and 4 others
Stuffed cabbage is a favorite dish in many parts of Eastern Europe. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Russia, and Hungary (to name a few), all have their own versions of this hearty dish. In most cuisines, this dish is made with ground or minced beef or pork, finely chopped onions, and barley or rice. The fist-sized cabbage rolls are then baked with tomato sauce in a casserole.
A Bit More About Cabbage Rolls and Culture
In many places stuffed cabbage is considered a festive food and is served at Christmas dinners, weddings, and family reunions. Jewish Europeans traditionally serve cabbage rolls on Simchat Torah, a holiday during which Torah scrolls are taken out of the ark and read amid dancing and celebratory singing. The rolls are served with a sauce made from tomatoes and arranged side by side in pairs so that they look like scrolls.
This dish is generally served warm with a complementary sauce. In Sweden and Finland, it is served with an accompaniment of sweet and tart lingonberry jam, while in Lebanon, the cigar-sized rolls are served with yogurt, a garlic flavored olive oil and mint vinaigrette. The rolls are also sometimes stuffed with lamb, eggs, mushrooms, and vegetables. In some Asian cuisines, cabbage rolls are prepared with tofu, shitake, and chopped water chestnuts.
How To Make Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 whole cabbage (a 4-pound cabbage with loosely packed leaves may be easiest to use)
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 large carrot, minced
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 large beaten egg
- Pinch marjoram
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Meat Filling Ingredients
- 500 g or 2.1 cups ground meat (beef or pork)
- 1/2 cup rice
- Salt and pepper
- Kucharek seasoning to taste (a seasoning made from various spices and dried vegetables)
Procedure
- 1Simmer until the cabbage is softened.Boil the cabbage in salted water.
- 2Remove cabbage from pot and cool until you can comfortably handle it.
- 3Remove part of the midrib with a sharp paring knife so that the entire leaf is flexible. Do not cut all the way through, keep the leaf intact.Carefully separate the leaves from the core.
- 4Chop up the extra leaves of the cabbage and spread on the bottom of a baking dish or casserole. Boil the rice and set aside.Count the leaves and set them aside.
- 5Using medium heat, sauté the chopped onions, garlic, and celery in olive oil.
- 6(If you are unable to find kucharek, you can try mixing half a beef bouillon cube and half a vegetable bouillon cube.)Mix sautéed onions with ground meat, boiled rice, salt, pepper, and kucharek.
- 7Apportion the meat mixture so that you have approximately the same amount of stuffing for all the cabbage leaves you've set aside.
- 8Take the part of the leaf nearest you, and fold over the stuffing away from you to cover the meat. Take the right side of the leaf and flip it to the center. Do the same thing with the left side. Your roll will now resemble a packet. Roll over away from you once more to create a nice fat roll. It's kind of like wrapping a sandwich in wax paper.Place about 1/2 cup of stuffing at the center of leaf.
- 9Slice carrots and add to stuffed cabbage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Place rolls seam side down over the layer of chopped cabbage in the saucepan.
- 10Pour mixture over the cabbage rolls, and boil uncovered over medium-high heat. Once the pot is boiling, reduce the heat to low.Combine the beef stock and the tomato sauce.
- 11Remove rolls and transfer onto serving casserole dish. Immediately mix sour cream and pan juices. Pour over rolls and serve.Cover the pot and allow it to simmer for an hour.
Variations
There several ways you can vary this recipe. Follow the recipe, but add your own flavors or touches.
- 1Add 1 whole chopped bell pepper to the meat mixture.
Tips, Tricks and Warnings
- Remember the cabbage lining. Do not neglect to put a good layer of chopped cabbage at the bottom of the casserole you will be cooking the cabbage rolls in. This will prevent them from burning during the long cooking process.
- Cabbage rolls keep well. You can keep them in the refrigerator for two days or freeze them for a week.
- These are good with either mashed potatoes or noodles. They are also good with warm, crusty bread.
- They make delicious appetizers. Make them in small sausage shapes, cook them until they are on the dry side, and serve as a hearty appetizer.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
