Stuffed Cabbage Rolls: Cook-Off 36

[Pam R]

kbjesq, they look great. Though I've never made them that way, the gingersnap thing is very common in Jewish/Eastern European recipes. What was in the filling?

[kbjesq]

kbjesq, they look great.  Though I've never made them that way, the gingersnap thing is very common in Jewish/Eastern European recipes.  What was in the filling?

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That's kind of you Pam R! I grew up in a very small town in rural New England, so this gingersnap addition was news to me. OT point of reference: When I first brought a bagel to school, in about 7th grade, no one including the teachers had ever seen one before! (We had relatives from NYC who used to bring them to us every once in a great while, which was a huge treat). I had to let everyone have a very small taste, which of course meant that it was the first and last time that I ever brought a bagel to school.

Back to topic: The meat filling in the recipe uses 1.5 lbs (80% lean) ground beef but I subbed ground turkey, in addition:

1/4 c long grain rice, par-boiled

1 raw onion, grated

S & P

The sauce includes 1 med. can diced tomatoes, 1 large can tomato puree, 2 c. water, 6 tbs. (divided) brown sugar, 3+ tbs. lemon juice, 1 onion studded with 8 whole cloves, 12 gingersnaps (crushed) and 1/2 c. raisins, optional.

The rolls are made the typical way and then the sauce is poured over and simmered for 1/2 hour with the clove-studded-onion. That onion is then discarded, and the crushed gingersnaps are added. The dish is simmered for another hour and then the rolls are removed. The remaining sauce is reduced as needed to achieve the proper consistency. (Not in the recipe, but after tasting the sauce at this point, I decided that it needed more acidity so I added some malt vinegar).

[Shelby]

I think they look delicious!!!!

[SanaaSol]

Thanks to whoever bumped this! This is why I love eG

...for some reason, it's been on my mind recently to try making these, and here pops up a thread.

These all look delicious guys!

[MelissaH]

It's definitely stuffed cabbage weather again. We're under a lake effect snow warning, and it's coming down steadily. And I'm lucky enough to be home today with a stoked woodstove, some knitting in my hands, and two purring cats on my lap. (Yes, at the same time as the knitting!)

What do you-all serve with your stuffed cabbage rolls? Or are they a complete meal all by themselves? Would freshly homemade applesauce be wrong?

MelissaH

[Jaymes]

It's definitely stuffed cabbage weather again. We're under a lake effect snow warning, and it's coming down steadily. And I'm lucky enough to be home today with a stoked woodstove, some knitting in my hands, and two purring cats on my lap. (Yes, at the same time as the knitting!)

What do you-all serve with your stuffed cabbage rolls? Or are they a complete meal all by themselves? Would freshly homemade applesauce be wrong?

MelissaH

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In my house, it's mashed potatoes. And homemade applesauce, too!

And some kind of good brown bread, and that's dinner.

[Pierogi]

It's definitely stuffed cabbage weather again. We're under a lake effect snow warning, and it's coming down steadily. And I'm lucky enough to be home today with a stoked woodstove, some knitting in my hands, and two purring cats on my lap. (Yes, at the same time as the knitting!)

What do you-all serve with your stuffed cabbage rolls? Or are they a complete meal all by themselves? Would freshly homemade applesauce be wrong?

MelissaH

Sub a couple of puppies for the kitties and that's my idea of heaven as well !

As you can see from my pics, it isn't cabbage rolls for me unless there's poppy seed noodles along with them. Wide egg noodles tossed with butter and poppy seeds, then with croutons that have been sauteed in, yes, more butter, until they get soft and chewy and still sort of crispy. Homemade croutons are obviously the best, but packaged will work. You could, I suppose, add a small salad as well, I'd choose sturdy greens (romaine, endive, etc.) and a strong vinaigrette, but that would be option.

The noodles are mandatory.

ETA-----OH OH OH, just looked at my pics again, and off in the corner I saw a glimpse of another little bowl of Polish bliss, cucumbers in sour cream. That works too. Paper thin slices of cuke, some finely sliced scallion and chopped hard cooked egg whites, dressed with sour cream, lemon juice or vinegar to taste, S&P and dill, then the egg yolk sprinkled over. That certainly works for me.....

Edited November 21, 2008 by Pierogi (log)

[Pam R]

Usually, I don't eat anything with the cabbage rolls - they're the star and the sides all rolled into one. But growing up, my grandmother would make smaller ones and serve them as a side dish themselves. I think that's common around here, actually.

[Chris Amirault]

Bump.

Was at the farmers market and saw a perfect head of cabbage for stuffing, big leaves and all. I had saved about half of a trimmed lamb leg (2 lbs, maybe?) from the grill this weekend and decided to get going tonight.

Blanched the cabbage leaves. Mixed some red onion, garlic, grilled scallions I had from earlier this week, as well as the last slab of salt-cured lemon rinds, all minced finely. Added some zataar, thyme, cinnamon, roasted thai red peppers, S&P, and smoked paprika. Ground up the lamb, and added as much rice as seemed appropriate. Doused the whole thing with a few Ts of pomegranate molasses and mixed with a vengeance.

After reaching the boil on the stovetop, they're now in a 300F oven covered in a quart of tomato juice and some roasted chicken stock. I'll report back.

[Shelby]

Bump.

Was at the farmers market and saw a perfect head of cabbage for stuffing, big leaves and all. I had saved about half of a trimmed lamb leg (2 lbs, maybe?) from the grill this weekend and decided to get going tonight.

Blanched the cabbage leaves. Mixed some red onion, garlic, grilled scallions I had from earlier this week, as well as the last slab of salt-cured lemon rinds, all minced finely. Added some zataar, thyme, cinnamon, roasted thai red peppers, S&P, and smoked paprika. Ground up the lamb, and added as much rice as seemed appropriate. Doused the whole thing with a few Ts of pomegranate molasses and mixed with a vengeance.

After reaching the boil on the stovetop, they're now in a 300F oven covered in a quart of tomato juice and some roasted chicken stock. I'll report back.

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OH my gosh, I think you nailed it, Chris! Sounds REALLY good. I've been in "summer food" mode, but I have home grown tomatoes covering every inch of my house......might be a good time to use some fresh juice and 'maters in some cabbage rolls!

[heidih]

the last slab of salt-cured lemon rinds, all minced finely.

The entire combo of flavors sounds like a good mix. Wondering about the salt cured lemon rinds. Were they lemon rinds cured like middle eastern lemons?

[Chris Amirault]

Indeed they were.

[LindaK]

Bump. I should have known there would be a great conversation on stuffed cabbage!

Maybe it was the light snow on the ground this morning, but I suddenly craved stuffed cabbage. I had a cabbage, so stopped by the market on the way home and picked up some ground turkey for the filling. I know it doesn't have the fat of other meats, but I'm hoping it turns out well. No recipe, just pantry ingredients: sauted onion, carrot, some garlic, beaten egg, along with rice. A light tomato sauce for the simmer, they're cooking now. Here they are going into the casserole, aren't they pretty?

I'll do more reading here before I make my next batch. Anyone else cooking stuffed cabbage?

[Mjx]

Bump. I should have known there would be a great conversation on stuffed cabbage!

Maybe it was the light snow on the ground this morning, but I suddenly craved stuffed cabbage. I had a cabbage, so stopped by the market on the way home and picked up some ground turkey for the filling. I know it doesn't have the fat of other meats, but I'm hoping it turns out well. No recipe, just pantry ingredients: sauted onion, carrot, some garlic, beaten egg, along with rice. A light tomato sauce for the simmer, they're cooking now. Here they are going into the casserole, aren't they pretty?

I'll do more reading here before I make my next batch. Anyone else cooking stuffed cabbage?

They are pretty... in fact 'oh, pretty!' was my first reaction. I've never made these, how do you cook them?

[LindaK]

After you've stuffed the leaves, they simmer in a sauce or gravy until cooked. A tomato sauce is typical, but I also grew up with a brown gravy version.

If you've never made them before, this topic makes for a good read, and there's a nice pictoral of the stuffing/rolling process here.

btw, the turkey filling was drier than the usual beef or pork. Not a suprise, since turkey is much leaner. They were still tasty. Now I have a few servings in the freezer for future dinners. These are great cold-weather food.

[Shelby]

I don't think I've made these since I posted mine up-thread. I have a head of cabbage languishing in the fridge as we speak. Might be dinner tonight!

[Jaymes]

Bump. I should have known there would be a great conversation on stuffed cabbage!

Maybe it was the light snow on the ground this morning, but I suddenly craved stuffed cabbage.

I'll do more reading here before I make my next batch. Anyone else cooking stuffed cabbage?

Actually, I had been wondering about what to make for dinner this week, but after reading this thread, tonight's dinner is decided. Stuffed cabbage.

My recipe is in Recipe Gullet here: Russian Stuffed Cabbage

And for anyone that hasn't read our previous thread on stuffed cabbage, you really should. It's here: Stuffed Cabbage

Edited January 11, 2012 by Jaymes (log)

[DesertTinker]

Jaymes. Thank you! Made your Russian Stuffed Cabbage tonight, exactly by the recipe. Oh, so good! Raves from my skeptical but trusting partner...

OMG, the cat just stole one out of the tupper on the counter where the leftovers were cooling! Gave him some of it, he cleaned it up 'n went looking for more...

Edited January 13, 2012 by Quiltguy (log)

[TylerK]

Cabbage rolls have to be one of my favourite foods. I come from a Ukrainian background, so sour heads are preferred over fresh cabbage. The traditional stuffing we used while growing up consisted of rice and toasted buckwheat but I add plenty of ground beef, onion and diced tomatoes. The sauce we always used sparingly (only to keep the leaves moist while cooking) and instead of being tomato based or brown sauce based it was sautéed onions, mushrooms and heavy cream.

[Jaymes]

Jaymes. Thank you! Made your Russian Stuffed Cabbage tonight, exactly by the recipe. Oh, so good! Raves from my skeptical but trusting partner...

OMG, the cat just stole one out of the tupper on the counter where the leftovers were cooling! Gave him some of it, he cleaned it up 'n went looking for more...

Thanks for letting me know!

I got that recipe some 40 years ago, from my grandmother. It was a family favorite Sunday Dinner dish during cold weather and, when I think about it, I can still see the whole family gathered around her big oak table in her warm country kitchen while snow fell outside. Such wonderful memories.

And regardless as to exactly how you choose to make it, it always turns out great. It's very forgiving and you can add, subtract, substitute whatever you like, according to your family's preferences. Those sorts of recipes are the most fun, don't you think?

Oh, and although I didn't mention cloves in the Recipe Gullet recipe, I usually do add a pinch of powdered cloves. And, it may be my imagination, but the ginger snaps my grandmother used seem different to me than the ones I can find today. Those of yore broke down more easily atop the dish as it cooked. These sometimes don't. So I do crumble them.

BTW, for those of you that are not familiar with adding gingersnaps, in addition to the ginger flavor, the flour in the gingersnaps help to thicken the sauce.

[LindaK]

Cabbage rolls have to be one of my favourite foods. I come from a Ukrainian background, so sour heads are preferred over fresh cabbage. The traditional stuffing we used while growing up consisted of rice and toasted buckwheat but I add plenty of ground beef, onion and diced tomatoes. The sauce we always used sparingly (only to keep the leaves moist while cooking) and instead of being tomato based or brown sauce based it was sautéed onions, mushrooms and heavy cream.

Your recipe sounds delicious, I'd like to give it a try.

It does raise a question for me, though, about the cabbage roll: sauce ratio. You say that you use sauce sparingly, only to keep the leaves moist. I always thought that cabbage rolls cooked by simmering in the sauce, so that they'd need sufficient sauce to be mostly submerged. Is that unnecessary--have I been over-saucing all these years? If you use less, do you need to baste the rolls while they cook? I do like having sauce to spoon over cabbage rolls when I serve them, but can't imagine a pot full of heavy cream.

[TylerK]

Your recipe sounds delicious, I'd like to give it a try.

It does raise a question for me, though, about the cabbage roll: sauce ratio. You say that you use sauce sparingly, only to keep the leaves moist. I always thought that cabbage rolls cooked by simmering in the sauce, so that they'd need sufficient sauce to be mostly submerged. Is that unnecessary--have I been over-saucing all these years? If you use less, do you need to baste the rolls while they cook? I do like having sauce to spoon over cabbage rolls when I serve them, but can't imagine a pot full of heavy cream.

Linda - Sorry my reply took so long. I was away for the weekend.

It was always my assumption that the larger amounts of sauce used in other recipes were to cook the rice (if uncooked rice was used) and to help tenderize the cabbage. When using a sour head the leaves are already very tender, and all my ingredients are usually pre-cooked before I stuff the rolls. The cooked buckwheat serves as enough 'glue' to hold things together. The cream IMO softens the sourness of the cabbage very nicely, but I also don't want it swimming in heavy cream. I've never had any problems with them drying out...I just layer them in a large casserole with the cream/mushroom/onion mixture, cover and bake in the oven. My baba used to make it (and my mother continues to make it) with canned cream of mushroom soup

I have tried it with brown sauce and it is also very good, but I'm not sure how well it would go with a tomato sauce. The cabbage leaves are already acid enough and there are diced tomatoes in the filling anyway.

[Shelby]

I'm ready for cabbage rolls, again.

[Shelby]

Ok, mine are in the oven. I used Piegori's recipe and it smells soooo good. The only thing I did different is I thickened up the tomato sauce (I used some of my canned tomatoes from the garden) with some flour and butter. I've never done that before, but I wanted a thicker sauce. It tastes great. After they are done I'll probably use a bit of sour cream in it also.

I made some homemade croutons the other day, so I'm making the egg noodles just as she instructed

I've been so lax in taking pictures, but I'll try to remember.

[Paul Bacino]

1# Ground Local Raised Lamb/Onion/Garlic/Carrot/Celery/ Brown Rice/ Majorem -- around Dutch Cabbage

My sauce was Hunts/ Worcestershire sauce and La Cucina Marinara( I had it left over )