Description
Ina Garten’s classic stuffed cabbage rolls blend hearty ground beef, rice, and tangy tomato sauce in a comforting Jewish-American dish. Polish and Romanian influences shine through these tender cabbage parcels that promise warmth and delicious tradition you can savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 lbs (1.13 kg) ground chuck
- 1 large head Savoy or green cabbage
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 2 cans (28 oz/794 g each) crushed tomatoes and their juice
- 1.5 cups chopped yellow onions
- ½ cup uncooked white rice
- ½ cup plain dried breadcrumbs
- ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsps good olive oil
- 1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 7/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauce Creation: Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent, then blend in crushed tomatoes, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop rich, complex flavors.
- Cabbage Preparation: Boil water in a large pot. Remove cabbage core and submerge the head, extracting softened leaves carefully. Repeat until obtaining at least 14 flexible leaves for wrapping.
- Filling Composition: Combine ground chuck, eggs, onions, breadcrumbs, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Incorporate 1 cup of prepared sauce, mixing thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Oven Setup: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), creating an optimal cooking environment.
- Rolling Technique: Spread 1 cup of sauce in a Dutch oven base. Trim thick cabbage leaf ribs. Place filling in leaf centers, fold sides inward, and roll tightly. Arrange rolls seam-side down, layering with sauce between each roll.
- Baking Process: Cover Dutch oven and bake for 1 hour, ensuring meat is fully cooked and rice becomes tender. Let the dish rest briefly before serving, optionally adding an extra sauce drizzle.
Notes
- Leaf Preparation Tip: Remove thick cabbage stem edges carefully to ensure smooth, even rolling and prevent tough, chewy textures in your final dish.
- Sauce Development Hack: Simmer sauce slowly to concentrate flavors, developing rich depth that transforms ordinary stuffed cabbage into an extraordinary culinary experience.
- Rolling Technique Master: Pack filling gently but firmly, avoiding overstuffing which could cause rolls to burst during baking and lose delicious filling.
- Temperature Control Trick: Cover Dutch oven completely to trap moisture, guaranteeing tender, succulent cabbage rolls that remain juicy and flavorful throughout cooking process.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 150mg