Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls are basically the trademark of Ukrainian cuisine. I am sharing a recipe that is very special to me as it was passed down by my mother.

Ingredients

– 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

yield

time

12 servings

5 hours 45 minutes

Step 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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

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.

Step 9

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.

Step 10

Place drained rice into a large bowl. Add ground beef . Mix well. Add carrot and sauce mixture, and mix well until all rice, meat and carrot gravy is all well combined

Step 11

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).

Step 12

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

Step 13

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 onto an edge of one half of the leaf.

Step 14

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.

Step 15

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.

Step 16

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.

Step 17

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.

Step 18

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. 

Step 19

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.

Step 20

Enjoy!

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