Cabbage rolls (Sarma)

Cabbage rolls (sarma)

Ingredients

•  2 sour cabbage heads (about 40 cabbage leaves)

Meat filling:

• 1 kg. ground pork

• 1 kg. ground beef

• 1 package of bacon, chopped (optional)

• 1 small onion

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 C. white rice, rinsed (option: brown rice)

• Salt (to taste)

• Pepper (to taste)

• 2 Tbsp. sweet red paprika

• Smoked meat such as ham or pork ribs

Method

 Cabbage:

1. Remove the leaves of the cabbage and trim them by cutting off the thicker parts, so that each leaf is evenly thin.

2. Rinse each leaf with cold water and then soak the leaves in a fresh cold-water bath for about 10-15 minutes. This will remove a lot of the salt that was used to package the cabbage and give the cabbage rolls a fresher, crisper taste.

Meat filling:

1. Sauté the bacon until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

2. To the bacon fat, add the onions and sauté until golden. Add chopped garlic and continue frying for one minute.

3. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

4. In a large bowl, add the pork, beef, eggs, rice, salt, pepper, paprika and onion/bacon/garlic mixture.

Mix well.

Put it all together:

1. Take one cabbage leaf and open it flat.

2. Put about 1-2 Tbsp of meat mixture near the thicker end of the cabbage leaf.

3. Hold the leaf in your hand and roll the leaf from thick end toward the outside of the leaf. Tuck in each end of the leaf into the inside of the leaf and into the meat mixture.

4. Repeat for each leaf.

Cooking cabbage rolls in the oven:

1. Place the cabbage rolls evenly into a roasting pan.

2. Leave a hole in the centre (if desired) where you can place the “leftover” cabbage and smoked meat (if using).

3. Add enough water to cover the cabbage rolls and bake at 350°F for about 2 hours.

Alternative cooking method:

1. Place the cabbage rolls evenly into a stock pot.

2. Leave a hole in the centre (if desired) where you can place the rest of the cabbage and smoked meat (if using).

3. Add enough water to cover the cabbage rolls and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 2 hours or until done. Don’t forget to shake the pot occasionally to ensure that the bottom cabbage rolls do not burn.

Another option:

Along with the water that is added to the pot, you could add one can of crushed tomatoes (Italian) for a more flavourful stock. —OR—

Do not add tomatoes but make a roux and add during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

How to make a roux:

• Place about 1/4 C. olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. In a separate bowl, mix together 1/4 C. flour & 2 Tbsp. sweet red paprika. Add the flour mixture to the oil, whisking constantly until a thick, rough paste forms. Using the liquid from the cooking cabbage rolls, add about 1 C. of the liquid to the saucepan. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Add the roux into the cabbage rolls and gently stir through.

• Rule of thumb for roux: 2 Tbsp fat + 2 Tbsp. flour + 1 C. liquid