Recipes

Sweet And Sour Stuffed Cabbage

Claire Perez - South Florida Sun Sentinel|

Sweet And Sour Stuffed Cabbage
4.5 (2 ratings)
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Cabbage leaves are stuffed with a savory blend of ground beef and rice, then rolled and baked with a tangy sweet and sour sauce. Freezing the cabbage heads ahead of time softens the leaves to make them more pliable, so they don't need to be boiled before stuffing.This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Bruce Garnett of 3 G’s Gourmet Deli & Restaurant in Delray Beach, Florida. It was originally published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Prep Time
45
minutes
Cook Time
2.75
hours
Servings
18
Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage recipe - The Daily Meal
Total time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 heads cabbage, depending on size
  • 1 tablespoon chicken base
  • 1 tablespoon beef base
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 2 1/2 pounds angus ground beef
  • 1 cup finely diced onions
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 3/4 cup rice, uncooked
  • kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • sweet and sour sauce (recipe follows)
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomato
  • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomato
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 (14-ounce) can measure of water
  • 1 (14-ounce) can measure of reserved chopped cabbage
  • kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Step 1: Freeze whole cabbage heads for at least 36 hours. Defrost in cold water. Core the heads. Chop the core and reserve for the sweet and sour sauce. Gently remove the leaves one by one. Use the first few outer leaves to line an oven-proof casserole dish, set aside. Cut the center vein out of each leaf.
  2. Step 2: Dissolve 1 tablespoon chicken base and 1 tablespoon beef base in 1/4 cup boiling water and cool. Place in a large bowl with 2 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1 cup finely diced onions, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 3/4 cup uncooked rice, and kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Mix until combined.
  3. Step 3: Preheat oven to 350 F. To assemble, place 1/2 cup of the beef filling in the center of 1 cabbage leaf. Starting at the stem-end, fold the outer edges in and roll to close. Place cabbage rolls seam side down, side-by-side in rows, in prepared casserole dish. Repeat process with remaining filling and cabbage leaves.
  4. Step 4: Top with sweet and sour sauce and 1/4 cup water. Cover and bake until meat and rice are cooked through and rolls are tender, about 2 hours. Check halfway through baking and add water, if needed.
  5. Step 1: In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, combine 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomato, 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomato, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1 (14-ounce) can measure of water, and 1 (14-ounce) can measure of reserved chopped cabbage.
  6. Step 2: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
 
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