Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Growing up, I knew these stuffed cabbage rolls as sarma.

They were part of the same family of old-fashioned meals as bean stew, stuffed peppers, and chicken soup. This was the food you could count on finding on the table, long before anyone thought to write down a recipe.

You can make stuffed cabbage rolls with fresh cabbage or whole sour cabbage leaves, also known as whole-head sauerkraut. We usually make sarma with sour cabbage. It gives the rolls that familiar tangy flavor, especially when they simmer with a little smoked meat.

Sarma takes time, so I like to cook a big pot. Once you’ve separated the leaves and started rolling, you might as well make enough for tomorrow’s lunch too. Serve with bread for soaking up the cooking juices, and save a few rolls for the next day.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• About 1.3 kg sour cabbage leaves
• 1 kg ground meat
• 2 onions, about 200 g
• 100 g rice
• 1 tablespoon lard
• 2 teaspoons salt, about 10 g
• ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika, about 20 g

For cooking

• 400–500 g smoked pork bones or ribs, cut into smaller pieces
• A few bay leaves
• 1.5 liters water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Chop the onions and sauté them in the lard with 2 teaspoons of salt until softened. Add the ground meat and break it up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the baking soda, sweet paprika, and ground black pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the uncooked rice, checking it first for any debris, then remove from the heat.
2. If the thick rib at the base of a cabbage leaf is tough, carefully trim it down with a knife. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling near the base of a medium-sized leaf. Fold both sides inward over the filling, then roll tightly. Arrange the rolls snugly in a large pot in two layers, tucking pieces of smoked pork bones or ribs and a few bay leaves between them. This recipe makes about 25 medium-sized rolls and fits in a pot about 10 inches (25 cm) across.
3. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1.5 liters of water and pour it over the cabbage rolls. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer gently for about 2½ hours.

Notes

• If the cabbage leaves are very large, cut them in half and remove the thick central rib. The number of rolls will depend on the size of your leaves.
• Taste the sour cabbage before using it. If it is too salty, rinse it thoroughly. It should taste pleasant enough to eat as a salad. If it still tastes salty after rinsing, reduce the salt in the cooking water to ½ teaspoon.
• For a filling that holds together when you cut into a roll, cook half the meat with the onions. Let it cool slightly, then mix in the remaining raw meat. For an even firmer filling, leave all the meat raw and mix it with the sautéed onions and other filling ingredients.
• Roll the cabbage leaves tightly to help them stay closed during cooking. You can also place a small heatproof plate or lid directly over the rolls to keep them in place, then cover the pot and cook.
• If your butcher chops the smoked pork bones, rinse them thoroughly to remove loose bone fragments. Some small pieces may still come loose during cooking. You can use another cut of smoked meat instead. About 150 g of smoked bacon is enough for this pot.
• I make these cabbage rolls without a roux, but you can add one if you prefer a thicker sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of lard or 3 tablespoons of oil, stir in 1 tablespoon of flour, and cook briefly. Add 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika, remove from the heat, and pour over the rolls near the end of cooking.