Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Pronunciation

A very long time ago, I tried my first piece of blueberry pie… and was sad that it took me so long to do that. On a fishing trip and foraging in the “back woods” near Lake Kabetogama, MN in a blueberry patch, I learned to locate and identify the wild berry that was the star player of my vacation. I quickly learned the art of making a great blueberry pie. After that, I discovered more and more things that I had been missing, including stuffed cabbage rolls or Gołąbki, which may also be spelled Golumpki. The American pronunciation of this marvelous food goes like this: guh-WOOMP-key.

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Many Different Recipe Iterations

If you read, speak, or understand some of the Polish language, the word for stuffed cabbage rolls would look like this: Gołąbki, and in Polish, is pronounced : ɡɔˈwɔmpki. It is the Polish name of a dish popular in the cuisines of Central and Eastern Europe. It’s made from boiled cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of minced pork or beef, chopped onions, rice and/or kasza (pseudo-cereal buckwheat). And it is also easier to remember the American English spelling – as in the recipe title: Golabki. However you might spell or pronounce it, the dish makes a great dinner any time of the year. I’ve found that it even goes quite well with scrambled eggs or an omelette for breakfast! There are many different iterations of the recipe for stuffed cabbage out there… for this recipe I used the following

Ingredients:

• 1 head fresh green cabbage
• approx. 18 – 24 ounces of 80% lean – 20% fat ground beef
• 4-6 strips of bacon
• 2 T butter
• 1 small – med Yellow or Sweet Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Medium Clove Garlic, finely chopped
• ½ cup white rice – (alternately may use brown rice)
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Seasoned Salt or Sea Salt – to taste (may use Kosher salt for reduced sodium content)
• 1 Packet Powdered Beef Bone Broth
• ½ teaspoon Rosemary – minced (fresh is better; use a bit less than if using dried)
• pinch of Thyme
• 1 Bay Leaf

Preparation:

1.  To a large stockpot, add enough water to fully immerse the head of cabbage. Add salt, similar to the way you would to cook pasta. Bring the pot to a full simmer (not boiling). Meanwhile, cut the core from the center of the head of cabbage and place it into the simmering water cut side down. When the leaves can be easily removed, separate them from the head and set them aside, keeping them warm and moist.
2.  To a 1 1/2 qt. pot, add 1 Cup of water, rice, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of butter. Cook until all water has been absorbed.
3.  Meanwhile, heat a pan on med high heat. When the pan is hot (a few drops of added water will easily sizzle) add remaining butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion gets translucent. Add finely chopped garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Set pan aside.
4.  Brown off the ground beef in a skillet heated to med high. Drain off all liquid. To the browned beef, sprinkle ~ half the packet of bone broth into the skillet and mix thoroughly with ground beef. Add 3-4 oz. of water to re-moisten the beef and bone broth mixture. Now add the Bay leaf, the onions, garlic, cooked rice, and spices. Mix thoroughly and let simmer.

Assemble the Cabbage Rolls:

1.  Using a paring knife, remove any of the thick stems / core area of the cabbage leaves and discard them. Place about 2 Tablespoons of the meat mixture onto that end of the leaf, fold the leaf over, fold the sides over, and roll the finished Golabki into a nice package.
2.  Place a layer of the tomato sauce (see below) into the bottom of a casserole dish, then neatly arrange the rolls seam side down in the dish.
3.  Add a half slice of bacon to the top of each roll and add additional tomato sauce over the top of the finished cabbage rolls. Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees. Voilà – Golabki!

For the Sauce:

• 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes (crushed will work as well)
• 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 T Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 T Rice Vinegar
• ¼ t Baking Soda
• ¼ t Marjoram

Empty the contents of the cans of tomato products into a medium sized saucepan, along with the Brown Sugar, Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Marjoram. Bring to a simmer – no need to boil – and let the mixture cook (simmer) for 20-30 minutes. It’s ready to go!

Golabki Dinner:

Serve 1-2 Cabbage Rolls per person with a green vegetable – like broccoli – and mashed potatoes, along with a glass of tart white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio… These cabbage rolls will freeze well, too! Bon Appetit, Dobry Apetyt, (good appetite) And enjoy!

Links, Resources & Products

• Authentic Polish Cooking: 120 Mouthwatering Recipes, from Old-Country Staples to Exquisite Modern Cuisine by Marianna Dworak