Cabbage Rolls with Meat Recipe

If you’re still wondering what to cook for dinner, try this cabbage rolls and pork dish. Aromatic cabbage and nutritious meat will perfectly complement your menu.

Moreover, cabbage is very useful. This winter vegetable contains vitamins A, B, E, and K, as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and a lot of cellulose.

That is why it is added to borsch and other dishes. Take note: the more head of cabbage, the more minced meat you could put inside the leaves.

Directions

1. Carefully disassemble the cabbage into leaves. Dip all of the leaves in a pot of salted water. Boil for 15 minutes so that the cabbage is soft enough but does not turn into mucus. Or you can blanch cabbage.
2. Prepare the minced meat for stuffing. Take ready-made minced meat from the store or chop pork, bacon, and onions, salt, and black pepper in a meat grinder.
3. Try to chop the meat well. To make the minced meat softer, add a few tablespoons of tomato sauce and sour cream.
4. Also, add some rice to the minced meat. So stuffed cabbage will not look like a cutlet.
5. Remove the cabbage leaves from the saucepan. Refrigerate slightly. Cut off the hard parts of the leaves.
6. Put a spoonful of minced meat with rice in the middle of the leaf and wrap it up.
7. Place the stuffed cabbage in the stewpan. Pour the cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and sour cream, and add chopped carrots and onions. Simmer for 50 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream.

How to Blanch Cabbage (for Cabbage Rolls with Meat Recipe)

Video by Ronda Scorpio

Additional Tips About the Recipe

Cabbage. The recipe calls for one large cabbage, but it does not specify what type of cabbage to use. However, green cabbage is commonly used in cabbage roll recipes. The cabbage leaves need to be blanched to make them pliable for rolling.

The recipe requires a head of cabbage that is boiled in water until the leaves become pliable. You will then remove the leaves one by one and use them to wrap the meat filling.

Meat. The recipe calls for ground pork and beef, but you can use any ground meat you prefer, such as chicken or turkey. The meat is cooked with onions, garlic, and spices until it’s browned.

Rice. The recipe calls for uncooked white rice, which is mixed with the meat filling. Some cabbage roll recipes use cooked rice instead.

Tomato sauce. The recipe calls for a can of tomato sauce, but you can use crushed tomatoes or tomato puree instead. The tomato sauce is mixed with water, salt, and sugar to create a sauce for the cabbage rolls.

The cabbage rolls are baked in a tomato sauce made with canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. The sauce is seasoned with salt, sugar, and black pepper.

Baking and Cooking time. The cabbage rolls are baked in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until the cabbage is tender and the meat is cooked through. The cooking time may vary depending on your oven and the size of the cabbage rolls.

Pros of the Cabbage Rolls with Meat Recipe

Nutritious. This dish is a good source of protein from the meat and vitamins and fiber from the cabbage.

Versatile. This recipe can be adapted to different tastes by changing the seasoning or the type of meat used.

Comfort food. Cabbage rolls are a classic comfort food in many cultures and can bring back fond memories or provide a sense of nostalgia.

Cons of the Cabbage Rolls with Meat Recipe

Time-consuming. This recipe requires a fair amount of preparation time, including boiling the cabbage, cooking the meat filling, and rolling the cabbage rolls.

Potential for dryness. Depending on how the cabbage rolls are prepared, they can become dry if not cooked properly or left in the oven for too long.

Not vegetarian/vegan. This recipe includes meat and is not suitable for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet.