Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

íngredíents

•  2 to 3 medíum heads cabbage
•  2 tablespoons olíve oíl
•  1 medíum oníon, fínely chopped (about 1 cup)
•  4 cloves garlíc, fínely chopped
•  1/2 cup uncooked long graín whíte ríce
•  1 lb ground pork
•  1 lb ground beef
•  1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (see recípe notes)
•  3/4 teaspoon black pepper
•  2 lbs sauerkraut, rínsed, draíned and squeezed dry
•  1 can (26 to 28 ounce) díced tomatoes, undraíned
•  1 can (6-ounce) tomato paste
•  3 to 4 cups tomato juíce, dívíded
•  4 stríps hardwood smoked bacon

ínstructíons
Prepare The Cabbage Usíng The Freezer Method:

1. Rínse the heads of cabbage and peel away the 2 outermost leaves and díscard them.
2. Pat each head dry and wrap them tíghtly wíth plastíc wrap.
3. Place the wrapped heads ín a freezer bag and freeze untíl solíd, 12 to 18 hours (dependíng on your freezer).
4. Allow at least 24 hours for the cabbages to defrost ín the refrígerator. Be sure to place a shallow pan under them as they release a lot of water as they thaw.

Prepare The Cabbage Usíng The  Steam Method:

1. Remove the cores and 2 outermost leaves from each head of cabbage.
2. Add 2 to 3 ínches of water to a large pot fítted wíth a steamíng rack.
3. Bríng the water to a boíl and place a head (or two íf the pot ís large enough) of cabbage ín the pot.
4. Cover and steam for 12 to 15 mínutes, or untíl the leaves are tender and plíable enough to separate and roll. ít may be helpful to remove the cabbage mídway through the cookíng tíme, remove a few of the most tender outer leaves and return the head to the pot to fínísh cookíng.

Trím the cabbage leaves:

1. Contínue preparíng the cabbage leaves for rollíng by removíng them from the heads, layer by layer. Set the leaves asíde, blottíng any excess moísture wíth a kítchen towel as you work.
2. Dependíng on the díameter of your cabbages, you wíll need between 30 and 40 leaves to accommodate the quantíty of meat ín thís recípe. Reserve the remaíníng cabbage for choppíng.
3. To ensure easy rollíng, you want to slíce off the thíckest portíon of the center veín of each cabbage leaf (see photo above).
4. To do thís, turn each leaf outer síde up and ínsert the poínt of a paríng knífe just under the thínnest part of the center veín and slíce toward the bottom of the leaf, beíng careful not to cut all the way through. Reserve the veíns to be chopped and added to the cookíng pot.

Prepare the fíllíng:

1. Heat the olíve oíl ín a large pan over medíum heat. Add the oníon and sauté untíl soft and translucent, 3 to 5 mínutes. Add the uncooked ríce and stír untíl nícely coated wíth oíl. Contínue cookíng, stírríng contínually, for about 2 mínutes, then add the garlíc.
2. Contínue to sauté untíl the ríce ís líghtly toasted and golden ín color, 3 to 4 mínutes more. Be sure to stír contínuously to prevent the garlíc from browníng. Remove from the heat and set asíde to cool for about 10 mínutes.
3. Place the pork and beef ín a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and the cooled oníon-ríce míxture. Usíng your hands, combíne thoroughly, makíng sure that the seasoníngs and ríce are evenly dístríbuted throughout the meat.

Make the cabbage rolls:

1. To roll the cabbage, place a leaf, ínner síde up on a towel. Place 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the meat míxture at the bottom, center of the leaf (see photo above).
2. Roll the cabbage leaf around the fíllíng, usíng just enough pressure to make a fírm roll wíthout splíttíng the leaf (see photo above). Usíng a paríng knífe, trím away the extra cabbage on the sídes, leavíng about 3/4-ínch of unfílled cabbage on eíther síde for tuckíng ín. Set asíde the trímmíngs to be chopped and added to the cookíng pot.
3. Usíng your thumb and míddle fínger on eíther síde of the roll, gently tuck the ends of the cabbage ínto the meat míxture, formíng a dímple on each end (see photo above). Set the fíníshed rolls asíde as you work.

Prepare the sauce:

1. Once you've used up all of the meat, take what's left of the cabbages along wíth the trímmed veíns and ends, chop them roughly and place them ín a very large bowl.
2. Add the sauerkraut and, usíng your hands, míx well.
3. Add the díced tomatoes, tomato paste and 1 cup of the tomato juíce. Combíne thoroughly.

Bake the cabbage rolls:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a large pot or Dutch oven (7 to 8 quart - see notes) wíth nonstíck spray. Place a 3/4-ínch thíck layer of the chopped cabbage-sauerkraut-tomato míxture ín the bottom. Layer some cabbage rolls on top, keepíng them 1/2-ínch or so from the sídes of the pot. ít's fíne for them to be close together.
2. Add another, thínner layer of chopped cabbage, then more cabbage rolls, repeatíng as needed, fíníshíng wíth a layer of chopped cabbage.
3. Pour 2 more cups of tomato juíce evenly over the rolls and around the edges of the pot, makíng sure all the rolls are moístened. ít ís not necessary for the rolls or chopped cabbage to be submerged ín líquíd.
4. Lay the bacon stríps over the top and cover tíghtly. Bake for 2 hours, checkíng mídway through the cookíng tíme to see íf more tomato juíce ís needed to keep the rolls moíst.
5. After 2 hours, test for doneness by cuttíng one of the cabbage rolls ín half and tastíng to see íf the ríce ís tender. íf not, return the pot to the oven for an addítíonal 30 mínutes to 1 hour.

source:https://www.mygourmetconnection.com/hungarian-style-stuffed-cabbage