Cabbage Rolls?

[Esox]

Who makes em and how?

I just made some (26). This is only my second time but I'm taking to it quickly.

2 1/2 cups uncooked rice.
Just under 1lb bacon, sliced.
1lb lean ground beef.
1 Tbls salt.
1 Tbls powdered garlic.
1 Tbls black pepper.
1/2 Tbls paprika.
1 medium cabbage, boiled.

They've been cooking almost 5 hours now. Naturally, I had to sample a couple and they're good. However, they need more seasoning, more spice and the rice is still a bit under cooked.

What kind of rice is best for making these and should the rice be precooked before making the cabbage rolls?

As always, I'm open to suggestions and tips.

 

[pault]

I precook the rice, add it to the meat, they do need lots of seasoning, usually bake in the oven with the sauce until meat is done, baking the meat in oven at 350 , covered, with precooked rice wont take long. maybe 40 mins.
im sure there are lots of recipes out there

 

[Bhugo]

Those look spectacular!

Agree with @pault . Also, you can carefully trim the heavy rib on the cabbage leaf to make them easier to eat.

 

[Atlantic59]

There are a million variations on these.

Rice should be cooked al dente right before assembling the rolls. The rice will absorb juice from the filling as it finishes cooking in the oven. Any kind of rice can be used, the stickiest would be short grain white rice. Better not to use parboiled rice, it does not stick together.

Your rice will have more flavor if you cook it in a mix of water and tomato juice with some herbs such as thyme and parsley. Try some smoked paprika.

Your filling will hang together better with the addition of one or two beaten eggs.

 

[martym]

My momma does them. And stuffed bell peppers. Incredible

 

[Esox]

I precook the rice, add it to the meat, they do need lots of seasoning, usually bake in the oven with the sauce until meat is done, baking the meat in oven at 350 , covered, with precooked rice wont take long. maybe 40 mins.

Also, you can carefully trim the heavy rib on the cabbage leaf to make them easier to eat.

Rice should be cooked al dente right before assembling the rolls. The rice will absorb juice from the filling as it finishes cooking in the oven. Any kind of rice can be used, the stickiest would be short grain white rice. Better not to use parboiled rice, it does not stick together.

Your rice will have more flavor if you cook it in a mix of water and tomato juice with some herbs such as thyme and parsley. Try some smoked paprika.

Your filling will hang together better with the addition of one or two beaten eggs.

Pure gold you guys, gold!

I forgot to mention the sauce, which I think was a bit of a problem. I used one of these with about 4 cups water.



That didnt give enough steam to cook the rice so I added 2 more cups water and let them boil another hour. That plumped them right up and one even split. I dont think that tomato juice had enough water in it to make enough steam to cook the rice.

In the oven at 350 is what I'll do next with precooked long grain white the same as these. I'll use a concentrated tomato paste instead of juice with water though and triple the seasoning. That way I can use the Dutch Oven to make ~4qt's scalloped potatoes and the other roasting pan to cook another ham.

Cook the rice in tomato juice! Yes! lol

Parboiled rice was on my mind because I was looking at it in the store. I'll be sure not to buy it, thanks. Short grain they didnt have, but it was recommended.

My momma does them. And stuffed bell peppers. Incredible

Giddyup marty! What else ya gonna do with your time off haha.


I'm a bit surprised none of you eagle eye cooks spotted the two different kinds of cabbage. Mostly, its a typical, if smaller, white cabbage but I also bought, by mistake, some kind of Chinese cabbage. Those are the darker rolls. I'll check next time I'm in the store again for what kind it is, but they have a stronger flavour and I prefer it. It may have been a Green cabbage but I'm not sure. It was round, not oval. Like below but darker.

 

[Tannhauser]

I've never really followed any recipe for them. I don't cook the rice and just use whatever rice I have on hand. I start with two heads of cabbage to get as many big leaves as I can. The rest gets chopped up and added into the soup. I cook mine in the Crock-Pot for hours.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Looks delicious!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Mick]

Golumpki. I learned to make these from a neighbor when I was around 12. Been making them regularly ever since.

I use a mix of meats (lamb, beef, pork).

I make the rice the day before and use it cold. Basic Texas long grain rice.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I can taste how great it is from the pictures.

 

[Toothpick]

Never had one! But darned if they don’t look good.

 

[Pebcak]

Eww parboiled cabbage and tomato sauce? You heartless heathen. I use homemade fermented cabbage and as you may have gathered there's no tomato sauce in mine, my family uses beef broth.

 

[Esox]

I start with two heads of cabbage to get as many big leaves as I can. The rest gets chopped up and added into the soup. I cook mine in the Crock-Pot for hours.

All the left over cabbage gets chopped up and added to the bottom of the Dutch Oven and covered with water. Like a bed for the rolls to lay on while they cook.

I had a hard time finding a large cabbage. I'd previously passed on making them because they didnt have any large cabbages. It didnt even occur to me to buy two haha.

Never had one! But darned if they don’t look good.

Growing up with a Hungarian mother, cabbage rolls were basically a staple. They are good.

Eww parboiled cabbage and tomato sauce? You heartless heathen. I use homemade fermented cabbage and as you may have gathered there's no tomato sauce in mine, my family uses beef broth.

Beef broth hmmm. Do you make a gravy for them after they're cooked? That could take things in an entirely new direction.


As I mentioned, I boiled the cabbage whole first. I then peeled each leaf off with tongs while it was still boiling then added the filling and rolled it up. That worked pretty well but the leaves can be hot, obviously. A friends wife said she freezes the whole head over night and that freezing stops the leaves from breaking as their rolled. Has anyone ever tried that?

 

[Atlantic59]

As I mentioned, I boiled the cabbage whole first. I then peeled each leaf off with tongs while it was still boiling then added the filling and rolled it up. That worked pretty well but the leaves can be hot, obviously. A friends wife said she freezes the whole head over night and that freezing stops the leaves from breaking as their rolled. Has anyone ever tried that?

You can parboil the cabbage, IOW, boil for 5-6 minutes and then chill the cabbage with cold water for a few minutes. Then, proceed with the recipe.

 

[ackvil]

My mother made cabbage stuffed with a combo of chopped beef, sausage, bread crumbs, chicken stock, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. It was delicious. I wish I had the recipe and proportions.

 

[Pebcak]

Nope, no gravy, it's just poured into the pan with the cabbage rolls. You really should try making them with sour cabbage, you'll never eat them any other way.

This is my grandmothers very informative recipe. As you can see it leaves a lot of room to improvise.

ground beef
onion
bacon
1/4 cup rice
salt and pepper
garlic to taste
eggs

Fry ground beef, onion, and garlic until the blood is gone, add chopped bacon and eggs, add rice.
Take a leaf and spoon in some beef and rice mixture and roll up. Put these in a roaster and pour beef broth over and cover with remaining cabbage leaves to help keep moist.

Cook at 350 for an hour.

 

[VerbaVolant]

 

[emwolf]

the following was my first introduction to cabbage rolls, but I'm glad I actually tried them after seeing this>

 

[Bklynboy]

I grew up on the Romanian style Sweet and Sour. Something like this:

Sweet-and-Sour Stuffed Cabbage

Filling:
1 head of cabbage, frozen, about 2 pounds
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large eggs
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 small onion, finely chopped

Sauce:
1 35-ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper
2 large onions, sliced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 lemons, juiced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon oil

1. Defrost the cabbage the night before cooking. When it is completely defrosted, separate the leaves.

2. To make the filling: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, salt, pepper, eggs, rice, ketchup, and chopped onion; set aside.

3. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on each cabbage leaf. Tuck the ends in and roll up like a big cigar. Place them, open side down, in a 6-quart casserole.

4. To make the sauce: Cook onions with oil in a saucepan for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste, onions, ketchup, the juice of one lemon, brown sugar, and raisins. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, covered.

5. Pour the sauce over the cabbage. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour and a half, and then uncover for an additional half hour, adding water if too dry. Taste for sweet and sour and, if needed, squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon over all.

6. Turn the stuffed cabbage rolls onto a serving platter, spoon the sauce over, and serve. This is even more delicious the second day.

Yield: about 24 rolls

 

[SharpieB]

the following was my first introduction to cabbage rolls, but I'm glad I actually tried them after seeing this>

I loved that skit. Candy and Levy were so funny together!