Call them old-fashioned if you like, but these stuffed cabbage rolls are pure comfort food with a wink. Once you master the roll, you can unleash creativity: swap meats, try different grains or surprise fillings — the cabbage is your edible envelope. Picture warm Polish Golabki like my mom’s: a cozy mix of ground beef and pork with rice, baked in a savory tomato bath until everything sings.

The history is a tasty mystery: cabbage rolls have been travelling kitchens for millennia, picking up local personalities along the way. Some say they started in Turkey and wandered north, becoming Eastern European favorites. In Ukraine you’ll find buckwheat inside; in China, minced chicken with shiitake; in Egypt, spiced lamb. Polish Golabki often use beef or pork with rice or barley, finished with tomato sauce or a dollop of sour cream. Each version feels like a hug from another culture — simple, homey, and endlessly adaptable.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cabbage (3 pounds)
• 1/2-pound uncooked ground beef
• 1/2-pound uncooked ground pork
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup cooked long grain rice (See Note)
• 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of dill weed (or marjoram)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained or your favorite marinara sauce

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Boil a whole head of cabbage until the outer leaves loosen and can be easily removed from the core.
3. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls. Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut.
4. In a small bowl, combine the beef, pork, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, egg, onion, rice, parsley, salt, dill, and cayenne; mix well.
5. Place about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture on a cabbage leaf. Fold the leaf sides over the filling, then roll from the cut end until sealed. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
6. Slice the remaining cabbage; place in a Dutch oven. Place the cabbage rolls seam-side down on the sliced cabbage.
7. Combine the canned tomatoes and remaining tomato sauce; pour over the rolls. Cover and bake until cabbage rolls are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

Note: Use precooked rice or another cooked grain (for example, barley, farro, or lentils).

Tagged: Cabbage, cooking, dinner, Food, Golabki, recipe, recipes, side dish, Stuffed cabbage