Golabki (cabbage roll)

What you need

Ingredients

Measured for 5 servings.

• 1 pcs (approx. 900 g)Cabbage
• 28 gButter
• 120 gOnion
• 454 gGround Beef
• 227 gGround Pork
• 237 g (cooked weight)White Rice, cooked
• 5 gGarlic
• 5 gSalt
• 0.5 gBlack Pepper
• 400 gTomato Puree

Make it

Method

1. 01

   Heat the oven to 175°C. Lower the 900 g cabbage head into a large pot of simmering water for about 3 minutes, lifting leaves away as they soften. Cool enough to handle, select about 18 intact leaves and shave down their thick centre ribs. Finely chop remaining cabbage and spread it over the baking dish base.

2. 02

   Weigh 237 g already cooked white rice and let it cool; do not substitute 237 g dry rice. If starting from uncooked rice, cook it separately first and weigh out 237 g after cooking. Soften 120 g chopped onion in 28 g butter for 5–10 minutes and cool. Mix with 454 g ground beef, 227 g ground pork, the measured cooked rice, 5 g garlic, 5 g salt and 0.5 g black pepper. Divide the filling evenly between the leaves and roll snugly.

3. 03

   Lay rolls seam-side down over the chopped cabbage. Spoon 400 g tomato purée over them; if it is very thick, loosen with a little cabbage cooking water, which adds no calories. Cover the dish tightly with foil so the leaves steam rather than dry out.

4. 04

   Bake covered for about 60 minutes, then check that the cabbage is tender and a roll centre reaches at least 71°C; extend by 10–15 minutes if needed. Rest briefly and divide about 18 rolls among five servings, noting that the roll count per plate may differ.