Okay, so I cheated a little with this recipe. I didn’t actually use cabbage.
We have a large garden every year. This year we were very successful in growing Brussels Sprouts. The plants grew about four feet tall. There were at least a hundred sprouts on the two plants.
My husband read an article about Brussels Sprouts. Apparently the top leaves of the plant are super delicious and can be used like cabbage.
So that is what I used for my cabbage leaves - Brussels Sprouts tops.
I have to say, they were indeed delicious. The leaves tasted much like cabbage, with a little hint of the sprouts. They are in the same vegetable family so I guess this shouldn’t be all that surprising.
The best part is that they were softer and much easier to work with than cabbage leaves. Even parboiling, cabbage leaves tend to want to tear when you are rolling them around the filling.
There was zero tearing while rolling the sprout leaves.
The leaves are a little smaller than a traditional cabbage leaf. I didn’t see this as a problem - there were just more rolls.
The filling was nice. The pork, having more fat than beef, gave the filling a lot of moisture.
The rice gave the filling a heartiness, so it wasn’t just meat.
The vegetables were the perfect soft crispness. I think sauté before roll was the perfect idea.
Cooking the rolls in the water/juice combination also infused a lot of moisture.
This was a great recipe, and a delicious meal!
STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES
1 Head Cabbage
1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 Cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
1/4 Cup Minced Onion
1/4 Cup Chopped Celery
1 1/2 Cups Cooked, Seasoned Rice
1 Cup Bulk Pork Sausage
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
1 Cup Tomato Juice
2 1/2 Cups Water
1 Small Whole Onion
Remove heart from cabbage. Cover with boiling water. Let stand until cabbage is wilted. Separate leaves, being careful not to break. Drain and dry on paper toweling. Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Sauté pepper, onion and celery for 2 minutes. Add rice and sausage to vegetables. Mix well and adjust seasoning. Place 1/4 cup of sausage mixture onto each cabbage leaf. Roll with filling inside, fasten edges with picks. Place in a greased baking dish. Add tomato juice, water and whole onion. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove to a heated platter. Thicken pan drippings for gravy to spoon over top.
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