Golubtsy (Stuffed Cabbages)

What is it that sets Russian women apart from their Western counterparts? It’s their innate, almost mystical knack for cooking golubtsy, the unmistakably Russian, deliciously mouthwatering dish that will take you up to 2 hours to make and as many days to forget. Try it at home!

 
Ingredients:

1 large cabbage
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup white rice
2 large yellow onions, minced
4 tablespoons dill and/or parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt, garlic to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
4-6 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small 8 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cups saved cabbage cooking liquid

Directions:

1. Cabbage leaves for wrapping. Cut out and discard cabbage core. Place cabbage bottom down in a pot of boiling water. Boil cabbage, taking leaves off one by one as they wilt. Trim or pound the large vein on the back of each leaf. Allow to cool and save 4 cups of cooking liquid.    

2. Stuffing. Mix together meat, rice, half the onion, dill, parsley, freshly ground peppercorn, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Stuff cabbage leaves with meat mixture and brown slightly on all sides in a deep pan with olive oil. For stovetop cooking, arrange stuffed cabbage leaves in 1-2 rows in a heavy, deep pot. For oven cooking, arrange 1 row in baking dish. Add bay leaves.

3. Sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 min: 2 cups of cabbage cooking liquid, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, 4 tablespoons of sour cream, onion, garlic, crushed black peppercorn, dill and parsley. Check seasoning. Pour sauce over golubtsy and, if necessary, add liquid to cover. Put unused cabbage leaves on top, cover with sour cream, bring to boil and simmer. Shake slightly from time to time for about 1 hour. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 min or on a stove for 1 hour.

4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and minced dill or parsley.

Yields 6-7 servings.
approx. 600-800 calories per serving.