Polish stuffed cabbage, also known as Gołabki is a traditional comfort food dish consisting of tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a hearty filling of seasoned ground meat and rice.
Ingredients
1 large head green cabbage
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, grated and divided in half
6 cloves garlic, grated and divided in half
28 oz, crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
1.5 lbs ground beef or pork (or a combination of both)
1 egg
2 cups cooked rice
Method
Remove the stalk and core from the bottom of the cabbage. Place cabbage in a large pot filled with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook until the cabbage leaves are bright green and pliable. The leaves should not be limp, they should hold their shape. Remove cabbage from the water and allow to cool.
Make the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in medium pot. Stir in half of the grated onion and garlic. Add in crushed tomatoes, water, salt and pepper. Simmer to meld flavors together.
Once cabbage has cooled, remove leaves from head. Cut the thick stem or membrane from the back of each leaf, being careful to not cut through the leaf.
Make the filling for the cabbage. Combine ground meat, the remaining onion and garlic, egg and cooked rice into one cohesive mixture.
Stuff and roll cabbage leaves. Place 2 tbsp of filling on the bottom half of a cabbage leaf. Fold up the bottom part of the cabbage leaf. Then, fold in the sides. Next, roll forward until the cabbage leaf completely covers the filling. Repeat with remaining leaves and cabbage.
Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the cabbage rolls into pan in neat rows and top with remaining sauce. Bake at 350 F for 45-60 minutes, rotating halfway through baking.