Stuffed cabbage (golabki)
Growing up, I was an incredibly picky eater. So, some of the Polish and Lithuanian dishes that my grandmother made were enjoyed by all but me. Thankfully, over the years, I became far more food adventurous. These days, one of the true treats is getting together with my sisters and mom and having the pleasure of making and enjoying some Golabkis. For years making them seemed to be a daunting task. However, these days, I love the simplicity of the ingredients and the mantra of the roll & tuck of the cabbage leaves.
Stuffed cabbage means something different to everyone, and most cultures have some version of it. Check out this wiki page that lists some of the many versions existing across the world! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_roll
Just a note that this recipe is not for the faint of heart. It is simple and delicious, but it does not cut corners in terms of fat and calories. A special occasion, splurge kind of meal!
The ingredients
1.25 cups uncooked rice, cooked per brand instructions. I use basmati and rinse thoroughly before cooking. However standard white rice is more traditional
2 large heads of green, red or savoy cabbage, cored
12 oz. packaging of salt pork, rinsed thoroughly and cut to small cubes
2 large Vidalia or yellow onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic. I am pretty certain this is not typical, but I love the addition
3.5 lbs. 80/20 ground beef
Kosher Salt and Black ground Pepper
Note: You will need a large roasting pan with a lid. If you were to half the recipe, a Dutch oven would be a great, smaller option
Instructions
Prepping the cabbage
Fill very large pot of water and bring to boil. Core the cabbage by using a sharp knife to remove enough of the binding core that the leaves will separate once they are softened in the boiling water. Using a long pair of tongs, remove the layers, as they begin to separate from the head. Note that the longer the outer layers remain in the boil, the softer they get. It is key to get them out as they are still solid, but pliable. Too soft will result in tears and holes as you roll.
Onion and Garlic sauté
Sauté the salt pork in a skillet until it is crispy and browned. Remove all pieces of pork from the pan and set aside. There will be a lot of rendered oil left behind after pork is rendered. Collect 1/3 cup of the pork fat/oil and set aside. Add the onions to the rest of the fat and sauté until soft and lightly browned. Create an open spot in middle of pan and add in the garlic. Continue to stir until garlic is fragrant. Spread out mixture on a sheet pan to cool.
Assembling the mixture
Spread the beef out around the edges of a large bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon of black pepper and 2 tsp. salt around. Add the cooled onion mixture and half the rice into center and begin to combine. Add more rice until you have your desired ratio of beef to rice. I prefer a bit more meat than rice (perhaps 65/35), but have seen other recipes were exactly the opposite. Suit to your liking.
Rolling and getting into the oven
At this point, spread roughly of half of the pork fat that you put aside into the bottom of your roasting pan. Sprinkle in a third of the retained pork bits. This will be the base layer and will allow the bottom layer to have a browned bottom. And then you get rolling! For each cabbage leaf, you will cut a V at the base to remove the thick remaining bit of the core. Then, spoon in a reasonable amount of beef mixture, that will allow you to roll the bottom up, tuck in the sides and roll. It takes a few times to get the amount of fill and the rolling down, but once you get it, you are good to go. Place the seam of the cabbage roll bottom down in the pan. Tuck them in tight. This recipe made just about 2 full layers in a large roasting pot. When the first layer is full, pour another third of the pork fat and bits over and proceed to the second layer. Remaining fat and bit on top and into a 350 degree oven for 40 mins. Remove lid and allow to brown 10-15 mins more. Be sure to check that the beef is cooked through, using one of the larger rolls.
Some recipes serve with tomato sauce, vinegar or with sour cream. My family has always eaten them straight up with some additional salt or pepper to taste. Enjoy!!!
