Farmer Boy Recipe - Stuffed Cabbage

This is another one of my handed-down family recipes.  I'm not sure how it got into my family, since I'm aware of it as being a Polish dish and none of my ancestors were from Poland.  Yet, here it is!  The Polish name for this is "Golomki".  The preparation is a bit involved, but the outcome is certainly worth it!

Ingredients: (makes 6 - 8 rolls - about 3 - 4 servings)

• 1/2 Cup of short grain rice (Raw!)
• 1/2 lb. ground Chuck Steak (twice ground works best)
• 1 1/2 lb. ground Pork (twice ground)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 medium Yellow Onion (finely chopped)
• 1 egg (slightly beaten)
• 1 small can Tomato Paste
• 1 medium can (14 oz.) Tomato Sauce
• Kitchen string (or toothpicks)

Directions: In a large pot, boil about a dozen large cabbage leaves for about 60 minutes. (They need to be limp enough to roll up, with the meat mixture inside of them.)  In a large bowl, mix the meats, raw rice (don't worry, it will cook up!), salt & pepper, onions, and egg. (If you use your hands to do this, be sure to wash them before touching anything else!) In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce & paste and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare 11 X 13 inch baking dish, by filling the bottom with 1/2 inch of water.  Place a fire-proof trivet in it.

To make the cabbage rolls: Lay out a prepared leaf (outside down), place about 2 - 3 Tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center.  Beginning with the fat end of the leaf, roll it up and over the meat.  Tuck in the sides, like you would for a burrito.  Tie the roll with the kitchen string or secure it with a couple toothpicks.  Dip each roll into the tomato sauce & paste mixture.  Place each roll on the trivet, seam down.  Cover the rolls with the remaining tomato sauce and any leftover leaves.  Then loosely cover the whole pan with aluminum foil.  Place into the oven and cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.   Check occasionally to replace the water, if it has gone dry.  Remove from the oven and let rest a minute, cut the strings or remove the toothpicks, and discard the extra leaves.  Any extra sauce may be poured over the top as you serve them up.

Just smelling this cooking, brings back so many childhood memories for me!  I remember smelling it when I was outside playing.  I'd burst into the kitchen and ask, "Is it done yet?"  All I heard back was, "No, go play!"  After doing this a number of times, the answer finally came, "Yes, come sit down at the table."  What a lesson in patience!  I can't remember that it was served with any other side dish - this made the meal for me!  (But mashed potatoes or rutabaga goes pretty good, if you think you need a side dish.)

I hope you'll try this recipe and then leave a comment here.  Thanks.  The Old Man in the Bib Overalls

"The object of all education is to make folks fit to live." Laura Ingalls Wilder