Cabbage rolls are a very popular item in northeast Ohio, especially during the holiday season.
They represent the traditions of many families of European decent, as well as Mediterranean descent. They are a very old, classic dish that many feel is complicated and are afraid to take it on.
I am one of those people. I like to eat cabbage rolls, but know very little about them and how they are made. Lucky for me, we have two new sales associates at The Post, Nicole Brant and David Kantor, who know A LOT about them.
It turns out that Nicole has a family tradition of preparing these over Thanksgiving weekend. David used to own a restaurant and this was one of his signature dishes.
So I asked Nicole to tell me a little about her family tradition, and I asked David for his recipe.
From Nicole:
In my mind, there is nothing quite as satisfying as preparing a time-honored family recipe.
If you are lucky, it will be read and re-read from a worn card or paper written from the hand of a mother, grandmother or another cherished family member. It will have the marks of many times of preparation and it may be tattered, but in addition to ingredients, it will contain unseen, treasured memories.
In the case of a family recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls, the only thing better is the end result. As we carefully peel the cabbage leaves and drop them into boiling water or prepare the filling, we remember how we were taught to do so.
The seasonings are written, but often we add a pinch of this or that, as our mother did, to get it “just right.” The cabbage leaves are filled and rolled as carefully as wrapping a baby in a blanket. Once everything is assembled in a special dish, the only thing left is to wait for the heavenly aroma to fill the kitchen.
The best part of all is enjoying them on a special occasion, like a holiday, or just because, and sharing them with the family that remembers them from a long time ago.
Family recipes are to be embraced as much as any special trait, value, or heirloom that make a family its own.
From David:
Grandma Helen’s Stuffed Cabbage
The filling: You will need 1.25 pounds each of ground pork, veal and chuck (not cooked); 3/4 pound white rice (not cooked); 1 egg; 1/3 cup milk; 3/4 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. pepper; 1 tsp. garlic powder; 3/4 tsp. paprika.
Mix all of the above.
Now for the cabbages: You will need 3-4 medium-large cabbage heads, cored and leaves removed. Reserve 6-8 uncooked outer leaves. Best to microwave the heads in produce bag for 5 minutes. This helps you easily remove the leaves. Remove leaves and repeat as needed until necessary. Avoid boiling if you can, as this microwave method produces the best results. Reserve remains of heads, what is left after peeling leaves off.
Now, to build them: Fill the leaves and roll. Measure or estimate 6 oz. of meat mixture for each cabbage roll.
As Nicole says, “The cabbage leaves are filled and rolled as carefully as wrapping a baby in a blanket!”
Now, the sauce: Mix thoroughly 2 large cans of Campbell’s Tomato Soup, 3/4 can water, one 12 oz. jar chili sauce plus a 1/4 bottle water (found in condiment section), 3/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 3/4 tsp. paprika.
Rough chop remaining cabbage heads, roughly 1-inch pieces. Use this to layer bottom of a roaster pan. Layer with rolls, top with chopped cabbage and repeat. Top with more chopped cabbage and cover with sauce mixture. Top with uncooked outer leaves.
Bake covered at 350 degrees for 3 hours. Remove the top leaves, discard and then re-sauce. These leaves are just to keep moisture in. Top with remaining uncooked leaves and bake at 325 degrees for 2.5 to 3 hours or until cabbage is tender.
This will yield about 22-25 rolls.
Well, there you have it. A little cabbage roll tradition from Nicole and Grandma Helen’s recipe from David. David tells me if you have any questions, feel free to email him at david-kantor@sbcglobal.net
I think this is just the stuff I need to try and make my first cabbage rolls, maybe this Sunday. Time to write this down, tweak it and pass it down for generations to come!