# Cabbage rolls mmmmm



## PixelRabbit (Feb 12, 2013)

For the foodies! Ready to go in the oven.

These would be my last meal should I ever find myself in the position to have to choose one.

Cabbage rolls mmmmmm *insert Homer drool*


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## Big Mike (Feb 12, 2013)

Holopchi...Not me...I can't get past the terrible smell of cooked cabbage.


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 12, 2013)

Ah see the smell of cooked cabbage sends me straight back to my Gramma's kitchen, can almost smell the ever present pot of homemade chicken soup in the background.


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## JacaRanda (Feb 12, 2013)

One of my wife and kids favorite for Christmas and Thanksgiving. I like them, but I have to kick them up several notches with Tapatio and any other strong spices or herbs. The rest of the family can't handle the heat!

Do you use any special rice or meat? Wifey uses ground turkey and I think usually jasmine rice.

Oh, and of course she is Canadian


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 12, 2013)

Holidays is usually when I make these, I'm the only one here that truly enjoys them. They are comfort food for me  

I just use ground beef, jasmine rice, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper. I love the simplicity.


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## Rick58 (Feb 12, 2013)

Sorry Pix, I'm with Big Mike on this one. Not a cabbage guy. Here's my recipe for ground beef.

1/4 lb of the above ground beef, 
Pat into a disc shape
cook on grill
Place in bun
Top with ketchup and pickle


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## Ron Evers (Feb 12, 2013)

Love them & like Jaca with a bit of heat.  They are such a bother to make I only make them every couple years.


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 12, 2013)

Haha Rick, I can appreciate a good burger on the BBQ (NOT propane!)

Try mixing a little horseradish in the ground beef


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 12, 2013)

Ron Evers said:
			
		

> Love them & like Jaca with a bit of heat.  They are such a bother to make I only make them every couple years.



I might have to put a little Franks on one and see... 

They are definitely a production to make but soooo worth it


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## Mully (Feb 12, 2013)

galumpkis.....love these....have not made these in forever....I will now....post your recipe if you would


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## pgriz (Feb 12, 2013)

Ah yes, cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers, and a few other things were comfort food when I was growing up.  Fortunately, my wife picked up a number of recipies from my Mom, and now she continues the tradition (that is, when Mom doesn't want to work in the kitchen).  I'm pretty decent at cooking (for an untrained guy), but can't get close to the deliciousness of what those two can made.  As for the cabbage smell, there are some tricks to keeping the smell down - I think they blanch the cabbage leaves first.


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 12, 2013)

Cool Mully 


I'll type it up and post in a bit when I'm on the computer.


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## CherylL (Feb 12, 2013)

My SIL's family cooks these up every Christmas and they send me some.  They call it Golabki and use beef & pork.


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## oldhippy (Feb 12, 2013)

Mom called that dish   Pigs in a blanket


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## pgriz (Feb 12, 2013)

Rick58 said:


> Sorry Pix, I'm with Big Mike on this one. Not a cabbage guy. Here's my recipe for ground beef.
> 
> 1/4 lb of the above ground beef,
> Pat into a disc shape
> ...



I got something even better, but it take time to make.  In essence, you make bread dough, make it into circles about 4-5" in diameter, let it rise, add a raw beef patty about 3" in diameter, then fold the bread dough over the meat patty, leaving only a 1" diameter hole.  Pan fry the resulting bun until the meat is cooked, first on the side with the hole, then on the other side.  The meat juices blend in with the dough, and once it is all cooked, you slide it out into a serving bowl kept warm in the oven.  We usually do four at a time (large skillet/frying pan), and accumulate 12-16 before serving.  The meat juices combine with the dough to make a pretty delicious combination, and we can eat 2-3 at a sitting - but it's not "lean cuisine"!  As for the meat patty, we usually combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, a few shots of tabasco sauce, same with worchester sauce, minced garlic and chopped onions...  and the result is guaranteed to make you want more.  The cooked buns freeze well, and are perfect microwave food - pop two into the microwave, and you have a filling lunch.


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## otherprof (Feb 12, 2013)

There is an easier way. A web search will come up with dozens of recipes for "Unstuffed Cabbage."  Tastes the same; less work for mother, as the Automat people used to say.


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 12, 2013)

Dinner time .... Yum!


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## ratssass (Feb 12, 2013)

Mully said:


> galumpkis.....love these....have not made these in forever....I will now....post your recipe if you would



....if you like galumpkis,you'dlove garatchkis!!


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 13, 2013)

Ok the recipe:

1 head of cabbage
2.5 to 3 pounds of lean ground beef
2 cups of cooked rice (I use jasmine or white) cooled down
3 cloves garlic
2 eggs
1 onion diced (optional)
salt and pepper to your taste, I like a lot of pepper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 large cans of diced tomatoes or 1 diced tomatoes and 1 crushed, or large can tomato juice depending on how chunky you like it, just make sure the liquid pretty much covers the rolls, you can add a bit of water if using crushed tomatoes.


Cut the core out of the cabbage (be careful!!) and put the cabbage a large pot to blanch.  While it is working on that mix all of the other ingredients except the tomatoes very well.  For hamburgers I usually mix as little as possible but with these really mash it together well.

When the leaves start to soften on the cabbage (don't overcook or it will be hard to roll) use a large fork to stick in the core of the cabbage to hold it and use tongs to carefully peel off the leaves and lay them in a strainer.  You may have give it another dunk after you get some of the outer layers off.

To roll them:

Take a leaf and cut the hardest part of the core out, I cut it so it's a triangle at the bottom of the leaf like this  ~^~
Take a handfull of the meat mix and form it into a roll shape and lay it just above the triangle, fold the bottom flaps you created by cutting the triangle over the meat, tuck in the sides and roll tight.
 After they are all rolled take a couple of the leaves left over and layer them in the bottom of your pan (<<that step is optional, can just lay them in the pan without) , sit the rolls in so they are seam side down and cover with your tomato stuff.

I use one of my roasting pans but any deep pan will work as long as they are covered with the liquid.  Cover with foil and bake @ 350 for approx 1 1/2 hours (it will vary depending on how big your rolls are.)


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 13, 2013)

otherprof said:


> There is an easier way. A web search will come up with dozens of recipes for "Unstuffed Cabbage."  Tastes the same; less work for mother, as the Automat people used to say.


Yeah I make that sometimes if I have some cabbage left over from coleslaw or such but it just isn't the same  I think the work put into making them gives them that little je ne sais pas!


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## PixelRabbit (Feb 13, 2013)

pgriz said:


> Rick58 said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry Pix, I'm with Big Mike on this one. Not a cabbage guy. Here's my recipe for ground beef.
> ...



TOTALLY going to try this!!!


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## Ron Evers (Feb 13, 2013)

oldhippy said:


> Mom called that dish   Pigs in a blanket



Pigs in a blanket are also known as sausage rolls  around here.  Never heard of cabbage rolls described as that.


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## Mully (Feb 13, 2013)

Thank you for the recipe ... Just printed it and will make this soon.  My grandma was Polish/Russian and she could cook.... now I am thinking about potato pancakes... you started something


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## Mully (Feb 13, 2013)

Sorry duplicate post   think it was the Galumkis fault


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## runnah (Feb 13, 2013)

Wait, people willingly eat cabbage?


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## pgriz (Feb 13, 2013)

Cabbage, and beets, and turnips, and parsnips...  In the hands of a good cook, everything is going to be delicious.  If, however, you don't know the culinary tricks, then stuff like cabbage stinks.  And there are different varieties of cabbage, each suitable for something else.  Green cabbage is good for sauerkraut, cole slaw, borcsh and cabbage soup, and stuffing for pirojki.  Red cabbage we use primarily for salads.  Savoy cabbage we use for the cabbage rolls, and other cooked dishes.  Bok Choi we use primarily with stir-fries. Dang - I'm getting hungry!


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## runnah (Feb 13, 2013)

pgriz said:


> Cabbage, and beets, and turnips, and parsnips...  In the hands of a good cook, everything is going to be delicious.  If, however, you don't know the culinary tricks, then stuff like cabbage stinks.  And there are different varieties of cabbage, each suitable for something else.  Green cabbage is good for sauerkraut, cole slaw, borcsh and cabbage soup, and stuffing for pirojki.  Red cabbage we use primarily for salads.  Savoy cabbage we use for the cabbage rolls, and other cooked dishes.  Bok Choi we use primarily with stir-fries. Dang - I'm getting hungry!



I was forced to eat boiled cabbage and cabbage soup for parts of my childhood and thus I am scarred for life.


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## runnah (Feb 13, 2013)

Ok.

1. Bring large pot of water to boil.
2. Add one head of cabbage.
3. boil for 16-20 hrs
4. Serve with garnish.


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## pgriz (Feb 13, 2013)

runnah said:


> ... I was forced to eat boiled cabbage and cabbage soup for parts of my childhood and thus I am scarred for life.



Boiled cabbage is probably the least appetizing way to cook this vegetable.  If that was your experience, yeah, I can feel your pain.  I also was given that when I ate at the homes of some relatives, and it was clearly NOT the way my Mom would make it, so in a very short time, I learned to ask before I accepted going somewhere for lunch.  Of course it was not always possible to choose - when you're parked at Auntie Dottie's place, you eat what you get served.


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## Ron Evers (Feb 13, 2013)

runnah said:


> Wait, people willingly eat cabbage?



You bet - Corned beef & cabbage, yum.  Brussels sprouts I am not fond of but my wife loves them.


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## pgriz (Feb 13, 2013)

PixelRabbit said:


> pgriz said:
> 
> 
> > Rick58 said:
> ...



If you are going to try this, remember to keep the meat patty thin, as you want it to be cooked through.  If it is as thick as a hamburger patty, it may still be relatively raw inside by the time the dough is already turning inedibly hard.  I've also found that if you let the dough "rest" about half an hour after folding around the meat patty, it will rise some more and be lighter in texture when cooked.


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