Description
Polish cabbage rolls showcase hearty comfort from Eastern Europe’s culinary traditions. Tender beef, rice, and savory tomato sauce meld together in this classic homestyle dish you’ll savor with deep satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 whole head green cabbage
- 8 oz (227 g) tomato sauce
- 15 oz (425 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked rice
- ½ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsps milk or cream
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 clove grated garlic
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- Mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Sauce Creation: Whisk crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, red chili flakes, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and grated garlic in a large mixing bowl until smoothly integrated.
- Cabbage Preparation: Boil a salted pot of water, remove cabbage core, submerge entire head for 6-8 minutes, then extract leaves using tongs and cool under cold water, draining thoroughly.
- Leaf Modification: Trim each leaf by cutting a V-shaped notch at the base to remove the rigid central rib, enabling easier rolling and more uniform wrapping.
- Filling Composition: Gently combine ground beef, ground pork, diced onions, egg, milk, breadcrumbs, cooked rice, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper, mixing minimally to maintain meat’s delicate texture.
- Roll Assembly: Place cabbage leaf flat, add meat mixture near trimmed rib, fold sides inward, and roll from cut edge to create compact bundles, ensuring secure closure.
- Slow Cooker Setup: Spread sauce on bottom of cooker, arrange rolls seam-side down, then cover completely with remaining tomato sauce to guarantee even cooking and rich flavor penetration.
- Cooking Process: Set slow cooker to low temperature, allowing rolls to simmer for 4-6 hours until meat is thoroughly cooked and cabbage becomes tender and succulent.
- Serving Presentation: Transfer cabbage rolls onto plates, accompany with creamy mashed potatoes, ladle cooking sauce over top, and garnish with fresh parsley for an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Master Cabbage Leaf Technique: Carefully remove leaves without tearing by boiling whole cabbage head, ensuring leaves stay intact for perfect rolling.
- Minimize Meat Mixing: Handle ground meat mixture gently to prevent dense, tough texture, preserving a light and tender filling consistency.
- Optimize Slow Cooker Setup: Spread sauce on bottom and arrange rolls seam-side down to prevent unraveling and ensure even cooking throughout.
- Sauce Balance Matters: Blend tomato sauce ingredients thoroughly for a rich, balanced flavor that complements the meat and cabbage rolls perfectly.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg