ISO tried & true stuffed cabbage recipe

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 27 2005 Posts: 6748

I need a good recipe, no raisins or a/t fancy - just a basic one, I'll be attempting it for the first time, to those not too lazy to post tyia.

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48155

chck the purple Lub cookbook.

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 27 2005 Posts: 6748

I did that already, I just want a basic recipe the ones there are not so basic imo.
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This is the recipe I've been using for many years. Its a little fancy, and it does have raisins (you can leave them out but I think they add a nice flavor), but hey, its for yontov, I only make it a few times a year and my family loves it.
Ingredients:
1 or 2 large heads of cabbage with big, whole outer leaves, 2 tbsp oil, 2 sliced onions, 1 large can whole tomatoes (3 cups), 2 or 3 lbs. of ground beef (yields 20 to 30 rolls), 3 tbsp. uncooked rice per lb. of meat, 4 tbsp. grated onion per lb. of meat, 1 egg per lb. of meat, 3 tbsp. cold water per lb. of meat, 3 tbsp. honey (plus additional to add to taste), 1/4 lemon juice (plus additional to add to taste), 1/4 cup raisins.

To get cabbage leaves pliable: either freeze cabbage overnight or pour boiling water over cabbage to cover and soak 15 minutes (Check with your rav about proper way to check cabbage) (Alternative: microwave whole cabbage until outer leaves soften.)
Remove as many large leaves carefully as you need. Make an inverted v-shaped cut to remove thick core at base of each leaf. Stack the leaves on a plate until needed.
In a large dutch oven heat the oil, brown the onions, and add tomatoes, salt and pepper, and the beef bones. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the ground beef, raw rice, grated onion, egg and water. Place some meat mixture in the middle of a cabbage leaf, fold in the sides, and roll from bottom to top, tucking in as you go. The resulting roll will have the shape of a fat blintz. Place roll carefully seam-side down in the dutch oven, on top of the onion/tomatoes/bones mixture. Repeat for as many rolls as you wish to make. You can stack the rolls on top of each other in the pot. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, occasionally spooning the sauce over the top layer of cabbage rolls. Add honey, lemon juice and raisinsand cook for 30 minutes longer. Taste the sauce and add additional honey and lemon juice until the flavors are balanced. Yum!

Gold Member Joined: Mar 14 2006 Posts: 1879

we do a really simple one...mix chopped meat with some raw rice, chopped onion and eggs. roll into cabbage leaves. cover with tomato juice, or sauce mixed with water, and add some rice to the liquid as well. either bake, or cook in a pressure cooker.
(if you want exact measurements, let me know, and I'll get them from my mother)

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48155

The purple cookbook one is a good recipe. that's what I use.

I started using both ground beef and ground chicken mixed together. My MIL was making it like that and it was so good I adapted it too.

I like my stuffed cabbage very tomatoey. I don't really measure exactly, but here's what I do:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb. ground chicken
1 small onion chopped
1 cup rice, uncooked
spices to taste
1-2 tbsp sugar

Mix, fill cabbage leaves, pack rolls into large pot, fill with water almost to cover. Cook for about an hour, covered, then add one 15 oz, can tomato sauce, sometimes I,like to add a bit of tomato paste, too, to make it richer, and cook an additonal one half to two hours on low flame.

Executive Member Joined: Dec 27 2006 Posts: 486

I make mine the same way I also add lots of black pepper and more sugar and some fresh garlic crushed.

Executive Member Joined: Mar 02 2006 Posts: 253

I make an unstuffed cabbage - use shredded cabbage (or a bag of cole slaw), top with meat/rice/spices, cover with another bag of coleslaw, pour sauce (from any stuffed cabbage recipe) on top, cover and bake. really easy!

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48155

I should try that!

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 27 2005 Posts: 6748

thanx 4 the help, so it was really funny when I didnt have internet access when it came time to look up all the recipes here. I think I'll print it now and stick it with the recipes for next year iyh.