Halupki (Stuffed Cabbage)

Ingredients

• 1 head cabbage, cored

• water to cover

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

• 1 ½ pounds ground pork

• 1 ½ cups cooked white rice

• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten

• ¼ cup finely chopped onion

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

• ¼ cup white vinegar

• 2 ⅔ tablespoons white sugar

Instructions

Fill a large pot with water and submerge the cabbage. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the cabbage every 2 to 3 minutes and transfer any loose leaves to a strainer to drain and cool. Continue boiling the cabbage for about 15 minutes until all leaves are tender. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the cabbage water. Use a sharp knife to trim the tough center ribs from any large cabbage leaves.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, eggs, chopped onion, fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until well mixed. Place a cabbage leaf flat on a surface, then spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of filling onto the base of the leaf. Fold up the bottom, tuck in the sides, and roll tightly.

Continue the process with the remaining large cabbage leaves and filling.

Cut any leftover cabbage leaves into smaller pieces and place them at the bottom of a roasting pan. Then, arrange the stuffed cabbage rolls on top.

In a bowl, mix together tomato sauce, reserved cabbage cooking water, white vinegar, and sugar. Pour this sauce over the cabbage rolls and cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Bake the stuffed cabbage rolls in the preheated oven until the filling is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened, about 2 1/2 hours. Make sure to baste the rolls every hour for even cooking.

Recipe Tips

Nutritional Information (per serving)