Holishkes a.k.a. Stuffed Cabbage

[mizducky]

Holishkes a.k.a. Stuffed Cabbage

Serves 4 as Main Dish.

By request, here is my mother's recipe for stuffed cabbage. The ingredient list pretty closely follows an old cookbook she also bequeathed to me, entitled--nu, vhat else?--Jewish Cookery, by one Leah W. Leonard, originally ©1949 and apparently long out of print (my mom's edition is dated 1951). But the method given here is based on my memory of how she did it, rather than the different (and rather terse) method given in the book.

• 1 lb ground beef
  
• 1/4 c uncooked white rice (not converted or parboiled)
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 onion, grated
  
• 1 carrot, grated
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• pepper to taste
  
• 10 cabbage leaves
  
• 1/4 c lemon juice or vinegar, OR 1/8 tsp. citric acid ("sour salt")
  
• 1/2 c brown sugar
  
• 1 c tomato sauce, canned (or home-made, if you prefer)
  
• water to cover
  

Combine the ground beef, rice, egg, onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Blanch the cabbage leaves briefly, so they're just soft enough that you'll be able to bend them without breaking them; drain and dry them. Stuff the leaves with the ground beef mixture by placing a spoonful of stuffing inside each leaf, folding the sides in, and then rolling it up snugly--as if you were rolling an eggroll or burrito or such.

Place the rolls in a deep skillet or pot with a tight-fitting lid, one just big enough to hold all the rolls in a single layer (when they're packed in like that, they won't come undone while cooking).

Combine your souring agent of choice, the brown sugar, and the tomato sauce and pour over the cabbage rolls. Add just enough water so that the rolls are covered. Simmer tightly covered over moderate heat until done--at least an hour, possibly/probably more like 90 minutes.

Notes:

--The original recipe said to finish the dish in the oven, uncovered so that the rolls brown, but my mother always cooked them entirely on the stovetop.

--You should feel free to get more adventurous with the seasonings than my mom did; myself, I'd probably at the very least add a bunch of minced garlic to the stuffing, but then I'm a garlic fiend.

Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetables, Jewish, Rice, Beef, Dinner

( RG1413 )