Whole Stuffed Cabbage With Ground Beef Food

STUFFED WHOLE CABBAGE

Steps:

• Combine sauce ingredients; set aside. Line a medium bowl with cheesecloth, allowing 6 inches to overhang edges of bowl. Place cabbage in bowl with core facing up. Remove core and center of cabbage, leaving a 1-in. shell. Discard core; chop center cabbage leaves. , Heat large skillet over medium heat; add oil. Cook onion and 1 cup chopped cabbage in oil until tender, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine beef, onion mixture, 1 cup sauce, rice, egg, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into cabbage shell. Gather cheesecloth around cabbage and twist tightly to securely enclose cabbage leaves and filling. , Place 1 cup water, remaining chopped cabbage and remaining sauce in a Dutch oven; mix well. Carefully add stuffed cabbage, with twisted cheesecloth facing down. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until whole cabbage is tender and a thermometer inserted in the middle of the cabbage reads 165°, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Remove cabbage and discard cheesecloth. Place cabbage on a serving platter; keep warm. , Combine the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup water; add to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cut cabbage into wedges; serve with sauce and Parmesan cheese. If desired, sprinkle with fresh thyme and oregano leaves.

WHOLE STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Prepare tomato sauce: In a 3 quart saucepan combine first 6 ingredients.
• Over high heat, heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat to low, simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
• While sauce is cooking, prepare cabbage.
• Discard any tough outer leaves from cabbage, then carefully remove 2 large leaves and set aside.
• Cut out the stem and center of the cabbage, leaving a 1 inch thick shell.
• Dice the cabbage you removed from the center of the head.
• In a 5 quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 cup diced cabbage until meat is browned and cabbage is tender (about 15 minutes).
• Stir in rice and 1 cup of tomato sauce, remove from heat.
• Fill cabbage shell with meat mixture.
• Cover the opening with reserved cabbage leaves, and tie with clean string.
• In same dutch oven, stir in water, scraping to loosen brown bits.
• Add remaining diced cabbage and tomato sauce to pan.
• Place stuffed cabbage head (stem-end down) in sauce; over high heat, heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, basting occasionally, until cabbage is tender (about 1 1/2 hours).
• When done, remove from Dutch oven and place cabbage in a deep platter, remove string.
• Spoon sauce over cabbage, slice cabbage head into wedges to serve.

JAPANESE STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.
• Mince the onion. With the knife tip pointing toward the root, thinly slice the onion within ½ inch off the base. Then slice the onion horizontally.
• Then cut perpendicular to the first slices you made. If the onions need to be chopped finer, you can run your knife through them in a rocking motion.
• In a frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat and sauté onion until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.
• Start boiling 2 QT (2L) water and add 1 tsp salt when boiling. Remove the center core of the cabbage with a knife.
• Completely submerge the whole cabbage and cook the cabbage until the leaves are pliable and started to peel off, about 5 minutes. Using kitchen tongs or a fork, peel off and take out loosen outer cabbage leaves from the pot.
• Soak the cabbage leaves in iced water to stop the cooking process. Remove excess water from them with a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towel. Trim the tough, thick center vein at the base of each leaf (upside-down V shape). Alternatively, you can shave down this thick part. For a beginner cook, I recommend simply cutting it off.
• Chop the thick veins into small pieces, which will be added to the stuffing.
• In a large bowl, mix the meat, sautéed onion, and the chopped vein parts of the cabbage with your clean hands or a rubber spatula.
• Add 1 egg, ⅓ cup (20 g) panko, 2 Tbsp milk, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper.
• Mix well until the mixture is sticky and combined. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes (this step is optional; however, it helps to solidify fat, keeps the meat juicy and prevents from drying out, and enhances and traps the umami flavor).
• Try to divide the mixture into 12 equal parts (I roughly divided into 8 first and adjusted the amounts later).
• Put 1 Tbsp of the flour into a fine sieve for dusting. Working with 1 leaf at a time, overlap the bottom of the cabbage leaf where you see the upside-down V-shape. Lightly dust the flour over the cabbage leaf. The flour helps the stuffing stick to the cabbage and acts as a binding agent. Add the stuffing in the center of the bottom part of the cabbage leaf.
• Starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up tightly, tucking in the sides of the leaf as you roll.
• Use one hand to pull the edge of the leaf and roll the fillings tightly toward the edge.
• Insert a toothpick to seal and secure the edge so the roll doesn't fall apart while cooking (optional). Repeat with the remaining leaves and stuffing.
• What if the cabbage leaf is broken? You can still use it. Use a smaller cabbage leaf to "patch" up and roll the fillings the same way.
• In a large pot (I use 6 ¾ QT oval Dutch oven), heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat and cook 2 bay leaves and minced garlic until fragrant. Then stir in the diced tomatoes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 Tbsp white wine, ½ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper, and bring it to simmer on medium heat.
• Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam side down, in the pot. If there are open spaces, stuff the leftover cabbage in the opening so the cabbage rolls won't move around while cooking. Add 1 cup (240 ml) chicken/vegetable broth.
• Place Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the cabbage rolls. If you don't have a drop lid or your pot is not round, you can make it with aluminum foil (see the tutorial here). Cover to cook on medium heat. After boiling, lower the heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add ½ Tbsp (7 g) butter to give it a little shine and more flavor.
• When you are ready to serve, carefully pick up the stuffed cabbage roll with kitchen tongs and put in a serving dish. Remove the toothpick and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with parsley and serve.

WHOLE STUFFED CABBAGE WITH GROUND BEEF

Steps:

• Cut center from cabbage; with a knife, carve out a cavity large enough to hold meat and rice mixture.
• Mix ground beef, onion, rice, 1 can of soup, salt, and pepper, diced celery, along with remaining cabbage (not core).
• Place cabbage head in large round casserole dish with 1/2 cup water in the bottom.
• Fill cabbage with meat mixture; cover and bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 F.
• Melt the cheese with remaining 1 can of tomato soup.
• Remove cover from the casserole and pour soup mixture over cabbage head.
• Return uncovered to oven for 15 minutes.

STUFFED CABBAGE WITH MOROCCAN BEEF FILLING

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and slice off the top inch. Place the cabbage in the boiling water and blanch for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and beef and cook until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the apricots, pine nuts, lemon zest, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the center of the cabbage, from the top, to create a "bowl" by cutting into the head with a sharp paring knife to loosen the tightly packed inner leaves, and then scooping them out with a sharp spoon. Finely chop these leaves and stir them into the meat mixture. Add the egg and mix well.
• Carefully fold back the outer leaves. Fill the cavity with some of the meat mixture and spread the remaining filling between the leaves. Fold the leaves back to re-form the cabbage and tie with string to secure it. Place the cabbage in a small roasting pan and add 1/2 cup water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until the leaves are tender, about 20 minutes more. Place the cabbage on a platter, remove the string and serve.

WHOLE STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Whisk egg white in a bowl; stir in kasha to evenly coat. Heat a small saucepan over high; add kasha mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until dry and kernels separate, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in boiling water and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until water evaporates and kasha is tender, about 8 minutes.
• With a paring knife, remove core of cabbage. Drop cabbage into a large pot of generously salted boiling water; cook until outer leaves turn bright green and pull easily from head, about 1 minute. Remove outer leaves; transfer to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Continue boiling cabbage and removing leaves until 12 largest outer leaves are cooked. (Remove remaining cabbage and reserve for another use.) Trim the thick center vein from bottom of each leaf.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium. Add onion; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl along with cooked kasha; let cool completely. Whisk remaining egg and stir into kasha mixture with carrots, herbs, turkey, and flour. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Line an 8‐inch bowl (measured across top) with a double layer of cheesecloth, leaving about 6 inches of overhang. Then line with the 6 prettiest cabbage leaves, overlapping slightly and allowing them to hang over top of bowl. Layer with one‐third of turkey mixture; top with 2 more cabbage leaves. Repeat layering twice with remaining turkey mixture and leaves. Fold in overhanging leaves to cover filling. Gather cheesecloth overhang and lift cabbage up, twisting to tighten into a secure round.
• Place tomatoes and 1 cup water in an ovenproof pot, such as a Dutch oven; bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Place stuffed cabbage, with twisted part of cheesecloth facing down, in pot. Cover, transfer to oven, and roast, basting occasion‐ ally with tomatoes, until a thermometer inserted in center registers 160 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove cheesecloth and slice cabbage into wedges. Serve with pan sauce, sour cream, and herbs.