Cabbage Rolls - Golubtsi

Today I want to share one of my multiple requested recipes for Cabbage Rolls. And for good reason. Cabbage Rolls are basically the trademark of Ukrainian cuisine. A timeless delicacy. Throughout my cooking experience, I've noticed that cabbage rolls are made many different ways, but this popular dish’s place is secure on the holiday table. I am sharing a recipe that is very special to me as it was passed down by my mother. But it is also special in the way it turns out and tastes.

I’ve had many comments from people trying them at gatherings outside of home, stating that these Golubtsi are especially delicious. As with anything, too often of anything and it becomes ordinary. I try not to make Golubtsi very often, mostly for holidays, to keep it a special main dish during family gatherings. Many times, however, someone or other in my family would request them for a regular Sunday after church family lunch.

I remember growing up in Ukraine, my mom made them for major holidays and we as kids couldn't wait for those certain holidays, because we knew mom would make Golubtsi and potato salad. The anticipation was basically unbearable. Who remembers that? Upholding traditions matter.

Tell me your stories in the comments below. Do you prepare certain recipes for holidays to make holidays a little more special? I would love to know. We love them very much in my family. And my kids as well, consider it a special dish and look forward to certain holidays to enjoy delicious food like Golubtsi and other food traditionally prepared especially for the holidays.

Everyone have their own ideas for holiday food, but Golubtsi are on everyone’s lists. It wouldn’t be Christmas without Golubtsi. Cabbage Rolls is one of those recipe, although we have a chance to make it every day, thanks to our great God! Enjoy this special blessing and the holidays! 🙂

Ingredient:
1.5 lbs. – ground beef (I make my own)

1 large – cabbage
2 cups – long rice
3 small – carrots
1 medium – onion
1 stick – salted butter
¼ cup – organic tomato paste
¼ cup – ketchup
1 cup – heavy cream
1 tbsp. – salt
1 tsp. – garlic salt
1tsp. – vegeta (or Mr. Dash) seasoning
½ tsp. – ground black pepper
8 oz. – organic tomato sauce
Bay leaves
Olive oil for sautéing

Instructions:
1. Steam the rice. Bring half of a large pot of water to a boil. Pour rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pot with cap. Stir it from time to time so the rice does not stick to the bottom of a pot. After 5 Minutes of simmering turn the heat off, close the pot lid tight and let it simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Then drain the rice through the strainer and rinse it well with cold water. Set aside for the water to drain.

2. Peal and discard the top two leaves from each cabbage. Cut out the core of the cabbage.

3. Place cabbage into a pot with boiling water (do not reduce the heat) cork down, for about 2 minutes, then rotate and continue cooking another 1-2 min. Pull off leaves as they begin to soften. Repeat this step after pulling out 2 leaves from a cabbage. Remove the leaves to a large glass bowl that has a lid. After all the cabbage leaves are steamed close the lid tight. This will finish the steaming process for the cabbage leaves to become soft and prevent from cracking during folding.

4. Place cut onions onto a large skillet and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Sautee for couple of minutes on med/high heat. Add shredded carrots. Sauté for 5 more minutes stirring it from time to time. Add ½ stick of salted butter. Sautee for another 2 minutes stirring constantly. Then add ketchup and tomato sauce. Stir until all well combined, and sauté for couple more minutes.

5. Add heavy cream, stir well, and sauté for 5 minutes on low heat stirring it every minute. Remove for the stove top and set aside until ready.

6. Place drained rice into a large bowl. Add ground beef (I make my own ground meat, see here). Mix well. Add carrot and sauce mixture, and mix well until all rice, meat and carrot gravy is all well combined (I prefer to use a spoon to mix it not hands). Then all the seasoning – salt, garlic salt, vegeta or Mrs. Dash seasoning, and pepper to taste (of course. We like our golubtsi with little spices and saltier).

7. I like to organize my leaves by sizes; it’s easier for me to fold golubstsi this way (optional).

There are two ways of rolling golubtsi:
WAY 1 - larger leaves:
Trim off the hard thick center of each leave. Find the center edge and split the leave in half with hands. Place 2 rounded table spoons (or as much as it fits into a certain leave size) onto an edge of one half of the leaf. Roll the leaf into a cone shape with the thicker part of the leaf at the base and stuff the wide part into a roll (see picture).

WAY 2 – smaller leaves:
Trim off the hard thick center of each leave. Place as much rice mixture as it fits into a cabbage leave. Fold it into a roll. Stuff/push in each end of leave into the roll.

Arranging the rolls:
1. Place the very first leave of the cabbage onto a bottom of the pot you will be cooking the cabbage roll in. Make sure the pot is safe enough to be in the oven for longer period of time (I use a special very thick metal pot that has no plastic on it. You can use cast iron that has no plastic on it as well). Arrange the roll evenly on the bottom of the pot. Drizzle with tomato sauce. Place couple of bay leave on different sides of the pot in between the roll. Then place another layer of roll and repeat the tomato sauce drizzling (not too much bay leaves, it will make golubsti bitter tastings, just enough for little aroma).

2. Then lay out all the left over and small leave on very last row of golubsti to prevent the rolls from darkening or burning. Spread the rest half stick of cut into pieces butter on top of the rolls. Cook golubtsi in preheated 350 F oven for 1 hour. Then reduce the heat to 250 F and cook them for 3 more hours. Remove from the oven and serve right away. Left overs can be refrigerated. Reheat golubtsi on the skillet or oven.

Enjoy!

Recipe Card

Cabbage Rolls - Golubtsi

Valya's Taste of Home

4.34 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Servings 12 -14

Ingredients

  

.5x1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.5 lbs. – ground beef I make my own
• ▢ 1 large – cabbage
• ▢ 2 cups – long rice
• ▢ 3 small – carrots
• ▢ 1 medium – onion
• ▢ 1 stick – salted butter
• ▢ ¼ cup – organic tomato paste
• ▢ ¼ cup – ketchup
• ▢ 1 cup – heavy cream
• ▢ 1 tbsp. – salt
• ▢ 1 tsp. – garlic salt
• ▢ 1 tsp. – vegeta or Mr. Dash seasoning
• ▢ ½ tsp. – ground black pepper
• ▢ 8 oz. – organic tomato sauce
• ▢ Bay leaves
• ▢ Olive oil for sautéing

Read More

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Steam the rice. Bring half of a large pot of water to a boil. Pour rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pot with cap. Stir it from time to time so the rice does not stick to the bottom of a pot. After 5 Minutes of simmering turn the heat off, close the pot lid tight and let it simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Then drain the rice through the strainer and rinse it well with cold water. Set aside for the water to drain.
• ▢
  Peal and discard the top two leaves from each cabbage. Cut out the core of the cabbage.
• ▢
  Place cabbage into a pot with boiling water (do not reduce the heat) cork down, for about 2 minutes, then rotate and continue cooking another 1-2 min. Pull off leaves as they begin to soften. Repeat this step after pulling out 2 leaves from a cabbage. Remove the leaves to a large glass bowl that has a lid. After all the cabbage leaves are steamed close the lid tight. This will finish the steaming process for the cabbage leaves to become soft and prevent from cracking during folding.
• ▢
  Place cut onions onto a large skillet and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Sautee for couple of minutes on med/high heat. Add shredded carrots. Sauté for 5 more minutes stirring it from time to time. Add ½ stick of salted butter. Sautee for another 2 minutes stirring constantly. Then add ketchup and tomato sauce. Stir until all well combined, and sauté for couple more minutes.
• ▢
  Add heavy cream, stir well, and sauté for 5 minutes on low heat stirring it every minute. Remove for the stove top and set aside until ready.
• ▢
  Place drained rice into a large bowl. Add ground beef (I make my own, see here). Mix well. Add carrot and sauce mixture, and mix well until all rice, meat and carrot gravy is all well combined (I prefer to use a spoon to mix it not hands). Then all the seasoning – salt, garlic salt, vegeta or Mrs. Dash seasoning, and pepper to taste (of course. We like our golubtsi with little spices and saltier).
• ▢
  I like to organize my leaves by sizes; it’s easier for me to roll golubstsi this way (optional).
• ▢
  There are two ways of rolling golubtsi:
• ▢
  WAY - larger leaves:
• ▢
  Trim off the hard thick center of each leave. Find the center edge and split the leave in half with hands. Place 2 rounded table spoons (or as much as it fits into a certain leave size) onto an edge of one half of the leaf. Roll the leaf into a cone shape with the thicker part of the leaf at the base and stuff the wide part into a roll (see picture).
• ▢
  WAY – smaller leaves:
• ▢
  Trim off the hard thick center of each leave. Place as much rice mixture as it fits into a cabbage leave. Fold it into a roll. Stuff/push in each end of leave into the roll.
• ▢
  Place the very first leave of the cabbage onto a bottom of the pot you will be cooking the cabbage roll in. Make sure the pot is safe enough to be in the oven for longer period of time (I use a special very thick metal pot that has no plastic on it. You can use cast iron that has no plastic on it as well). Arrange the roll evenly on the bottom of the pot. Drizzle with tomato sauce. Place couple of bay leave on different sides of the pot in between the roll. Then place another layer of roll and repeat the tomato sauce drizzling (not too much bay leaves, it will make golubsti bitter tastings, just enough for little aroma).
• ▢
  Then lay out all the left over and small leave on very last row of golubsti to prevent the rolls from darkening or burning. Spread the rest half stick of cut into pieces butter on top of the rolls. Cook golubtsi in preheated 350 F oven for 1 hour. Then reduce the heat to 250 F and cook them for 3 more hours. Remove from the oven and serve right away. Left overs can be refrigerated. Reheat golubtsi on the skillet or oven.
• ▢
  Enjoy!

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