Gołąbki (Polish Stuffed Cabbage)
This recipe is one of my family’s favorites. My grandmother, Zofia, has been making it since before I can remember. I had the privilege, years ago, to have her teach me exactly how to make it, and I’m so glad that she did. Gołąbki is the epitome of comfortable, Eastern European cuisine. The light cabbage wrapped around the meat filling and coated in the deep red tomato sauce is the perfect combination to make you feel like your at home in your grandmother’s kitchen. Especially, that is, if you happen to be Polish.
I hope that you’ll make this recipe and report back to me how it went. I know that you and your family will love it!
Joe the Blue Wizard
Gołąbki
Delicious and comforting, this recipe is for Polish stuffed cabbage. You start with cabbage leaves and stuff them with a delicious meat mixture then bake them in a warming tomato sauce. This labor of love is sure to be a hit with your family and one they'll remember for the rest of time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (185 g) uncooked rice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. (28 g) butter
- 1 large green cabbage
- 1 lb. (450 g) ground beef
- 1/2 lb. (225 g) ground pork
- 2 tsp. (6 g) salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. (1 g) ground pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups (350-475 mL) milk
- 3, 8 oz. cans (680 grams total) tomato sauce
Instructions
- Prepare rice according to packaged directions.
- Start a large pot of salted water boiling on high heat.
- On medium high heat, melt the butter until foamy.
- Add the finely chopped onion to the butter and cook until golden brown while stirring occasionally, then set to the side to cool completely.
- Remove the core from your cabbage by cutting around the core with a knife angled in towards the center of the cabbage.
- When water is boiling, use large tongs or two forks to gently place the cabbage into the water.
- Cover pot and bring back to a boil.
- Begin carefully removing leaves from the cabbage starting with the outer layer. Place leaves into a large bowl to cool down. After removing each layer of leaves allow cabbage to boil for another minute before removing the next layer of leaves.
- Continue in this fashion until you are left with a core from which you cannot pull additional leaves. Discard the core, and turn off the water.
- In a large bowl combine the meats, cooked and cooled rice, cooked and cooled onion, 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Mix until the mixture is even in consistency and milk is absorbed. Your mixture should be moist, but not have milk pooling. If your mixture looks dry, add additional milk.
- Line the bottom of a large Dutch oven or stock pot with the cabbage leaves to small to roll up.
- Using the larger leaves, begin to make Gołąbki.
- Use a knife held horizontally to slice off the part of the central vein of the leaf that is raised so that you have a flat leaf. Alternatively, remove the vein and fold the leaf to remove the gap created.
- With the cup side up, place the leaf flat on a surface. Add 1/4-1/2 cup of meat mixture depending on the size of the leaf to the base of the leaf. Fold in the sides of the leaf and then roll up as you would a burrito.
- Place the roll into the lined pot. Continue rolling until all the meat mixture is used.
- In a medium bowl, mix together canned tomato sauce and an equal amount of water. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour sauce mixture over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover the rolls in the pot with the largest leaves from the outside of the cabbage to protect them from burning in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C)
- Cover the pot and place on the stove over high heat until just boiling.
- Place pot in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
- When removed from the oven, remove the cabbage from the top to serve the rolls.
- Serve with boiled potatoes and enjoy!
