Name: Golabki with Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 0.25 head white cabbage; 100 g ground pork; 50 g ground beef; 25 g long-grain rice; 0.25 pcs onion; 0.25 pcs egg; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 0.125 teaspoon black pepper; 0.375 l water; vegetable oil; 0.25 tin tomato paste; 0.25 pcs onion; 62.5 ml beef broth; 7.5 g butter; 0.125 teaspoon salt; 0.0625 teaspoon black pepper; 0.25 teaspoon caster sugar

Step by step process

Preparing the filling and cabbage leaves

1
Rinse the cabbage head, carefully core out the stem, and place the whole head into a large pot of boiling water (1.5 l) for 5-10 minutes, until the leaves loosen.
TIP:
Blanch the cabbage in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, then cool quickly and dry. Remove the thick ribs so the leaves are pliable for rolling.
2
Peel off about 12 large whole leaves from the head. Trim the thicker ribs so the leaves are flexible.
3
Cook the rice according to the package instructions in water until tender, drain, and let cool.
4
Peel and finely chop the onion.
5
Heat a little oil in a pan and sauté the onion briefly until translucent. Let cool.
6
In a bowl, mix the ground pork and beef, rice, sautéed onion, egg, salt, and pepper. Work everything together thoroughly into a compact mixture.

Shaping and baking the golabki

7
Place a portion of the meat filling onto each cabbage leaf. Fold the edges in and roll tightly into a cylinder.
8
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
9
Line a baking dish or a deeper casserole with the remaining smaller cabbage leaves (if any). Arrange the rolls close together, seam side down.
10
Prepare the tomato sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan, sauté finely chopped onion in it, then add tomato paste and vegetable stock. Stir, sweeten to taste with sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer gently for at least 8-10 minutes.
TIP:
Cook the onions over low heat only until they soften and turn translucent, not brown. This creates a delicate, slightly sweet base that works well in sauces, soups, and meat dishes.
11
Pour half of the sauce over the rolls in the baking dish, cover with foil or a lid, and bake covered for about 1 hour. Halfway through baking, pour the remaining sauce over the rolls and, if needed, add a little water or stock.