Addictive Cabbage Rolls (Beef & Rice Stuffing)

Ingredients

• 1 head large green cabbage
• boiling water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound lean ground beef (454 g)
• 2 cups short grain rice (calroze or Italian rice)
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 2 small heads of garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 teaspoons allspice (or substitute with seven spice)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken broth (or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 3 cups hot water)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (approximately the juice of 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Steps

1. 1

   Start by carving out the cabbage root, digging as deep as you can. This step will detach the cabbage leaves and loosen them easily in the next step. Note: visual photos in the blog post above.

2. 2

   Next, to a large pot of boiling water, add the salt and the head of the cabbage and allow it to boil for a few minutes, flipping it on both sides. You can now start to loosen the leaves using a pair of tongs, it should come apart easily. Keep separating the leaves and place them on a paper towel lined tray or colander to drain. Any thick or hard leaves, keep them in the boiling water for a few extra minutes to soften. Continue until you reach the centre of the cabbage head, and can no longer remove leaves.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, combine the lean ground beef, short grain rice, onion, garlic, allspice, black pepper and salt. Use your hands to mix well and ensure that the meat and the rice are well combined with the spices.

4. 4

   In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the tomato paste, broth, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 450F degrees.

6. 6

   Place one leaf on a cutting board and cut away the thick rib at the centre using a knife or kitchen scissors. If it is a small piece, simply trim the thick part of the rib. If it is a large piece continue cutting upwards from where the rib was to form two equal sized pieces. Place 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the cabbage leaf and shape it into a log shape, leaving 1/2 an inch of space near each of the edges. Fold the edges inward and roll the cabbage leaf into a log shape. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage leaves. Note: visual photos in the blog post above.

7. 7

   In a large dutch oven with a lid or oven safe pot (minimum 5 L capacity), arrange the rolled cabbage leaves, stacking them in tightly next to each other. Pour over the prepared broth and cover tightly with the lid. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 2 hours until the filling is cooked through and the cabbage is fork tender. You can also leave it in the oven for longer (up to 3 hours) to get it even more tender.