Cabbage rolls are a very common dish all over the world, with each country and region having their own version with different fillings. I spent a couple of weeks in Ukraine on an agricultural mission several years ago, and I learned to love their combination of flavors. Until I visited Ukraine I thought dill was used only for pickles, but in Ukraine, they have a saying “dill is life” and they use it in many different dishes. Even in Ukraine, there is a wide variety of methods and filling; these are made in the style of the Poltava region.
2-3 Tbsp oil (sunflower is traditional, olive is fine)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cans or 1-2 pints of tomato sauce
¼ cup sour cream
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dill weed
Instructions
Rinse the rice, and then add some salt and parboil the rice for ~10 minutes. Let cool.
Add a gallon of water and a tsp of salt to a large pot and bring to a boil.
Remove the core from the cabbage with a sharp knife, and remove the two or three tough leaves from the outside.
Reduce the water to a steady simmer and carefully place the head of cabbage in the simmering water for 5 minutes. Flip and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the cabbage and allow it to cool. Don’t over cook them, the leaves will be too soft to use.
Carefully remove the outer leaves, trimming the bottom as needed to loosen the leaves. As you work your way through the head, you may find that the inside leaves need some more boiling to soften them up. If some leaves tear, that’s okay; you can still use them.
Shred the carrots with a grater (half fine, half medium), dice the onions, and mince the garlic.
Heat a skillet over medium flame, and add the oil when hot.
Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onions and a sprinkle of salt, cook until soft and starting to brown. Add the carrot and cook until soft, deglaze with a little water as needed. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
In a sauce pan, gently heat the tomato sauce and sour cream, stir through and bring to a simmer. Add the seasonings and stir through. Add ~1/2 of the onion/carrot mix and stir through.
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, rice, the remaining onion/carrot mix, and ¼ to 1/3 of the sauce (enough to make it moist so it holds together).
Once the cabbage leaves have cooled, trim the spine off of each leaf so the leaf is easier to roll. You can use the small leaves (which are too small to roll) to line the bottom of the baking dish to prevent sticking.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Place a 1-2 Tbsp of the filling on each cabbage leaf (depending on your cabbage leaf), and roll it up like a burrito – bring the bottom up over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll them tightly the rest of the way. Place them seam side down in your baking dish.
Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls and spread out evenly. If you have to make more than one layer of cabbage rolls, than split your sauce appropriately. Add some water to “fill in the cracks” – this will also help to ensure they cook thoroughly.
Cover the dish and bake for 1 hour.
Serve garnished with dill weed and sour cream on the side.
