For New Year’s we decided to continue in following with the tradition of cabbage for money, black-eyed peas for health, and pork for wealth, and the perfect way to combine a few of this into one dish! Therefore, we set out to make our cabbage roll stuffing with some Italian sausage, which contains ground pork, and stuffed inside the cabbage, this combines two of the required ingredients. We had some leftover black-eyed-pea soup that I re-heated and thickened with a bit of Wondra flour to make it a side dish. In addition, with some left over tomato sauce and cabbage leaves, we combined those to make a smothered cabbage in tomato sauce.
Monique and I decided that these cabbage rolls would be our new New Years Day dinner tradition, and next time around will include some fresh black eyes in the stuffing, making the perfect trifecta good luck treat.
Happy New Year!
| Ingredients | ||
| Cabbage | ||
| To cover | Water | |
| 1 | Whole | Cabbage, 5 lb. average |
| 1 | Tsp | Salt |
| Stuffing | ||
| 1 | Tbsp | Olive oil |
| 2 | Cups | Onions, diced |
| 1 ½ | Cup | Celery, diced |
| 6 | Cloves | Garlic, minced |
| 1 | Lb. | Italian sausage with pork |
| 1 ½ | Tbsp | Rosemary, fresh chopped |
| 1 | Tsp | Garlic salt |
| ½ | Tsp | Black pepper |
| 2 | Cups | Rice, cooked and chilled |
| 2 | Tbsp | Paprika |
| 2 | Large | Eggs, beaten |
| 2/3 | Cup | Italian breadcrumbs |
| Sauce | ||
| 1 | Can | Tomato paste, 6 oz. |
| 6 | Oz. | Red wine |
| 1 | Can | Crushed tomatoes, 28 oz. |
| 1 | Tbsp | Italian seasoning |
| 1 | Tbsp | Worcestershire sauce |
| Topping | ||
| ½ | Cup | Parmesan cheese, shredded |
| Procedure Steps Note: Click thumbnails for a larger view. | |
| 1. | Put the whole cabbage into a large stockpot and cover with water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Continue boiling to soften the cabbage leaves. While the cabbage is cooking start preparations on the stuffing and then the sauce. |
| 1. | For the stuffing: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the onions and celery and sauté until translucent then add the garlic and continue over the heat for a few more minutes. |
| 2. | Add the raw Italian pork sausage and brown until all pink is gone. Add the rosemary, garlic salt, and black pepper and stir well to incorporate and continue to heat through a few more minutes. |
| 3. |  Transfer the sausage and vegetables to a large bowl and allow cooling to room temperature, and then add the cooked rice, paprika and stir well. Then add the beaten eggs, and then the breadcrumbs to form the stuffing. |
| 4. | For the sauce: In a medium saucepan add the tomato paste, red wine, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and the Worcestershire sauce, combine well and bring to simmer for 30 minutes. |
| 5. |  Once the cabbage leaves are tender, pull them gently from the bottom stem one leaf at a time using a pair of metal tongs, and drain them in large bowl, allowing them to cool before stuffing. |
| 6. |    To stuff the leaves cut the tough stem portion of about 2 inches from the bottom in a V shape, then add about ¼ cup of the stuffing at the bottom of the leaf. Then starting from the bottom roll the leaf around the stuffing then fold the edges over and then continue rolling. Place stuffed cabbage rolls onto a greased baking pan. |
| 7. | Once you have the baking pan full of cabbage rolls, top with the tomato sauce and then add the grated parmesan cheese. |
| 8. |  Bake in a pre-heated 350° F. oven for about an hour or until heated through and sauce is bubbling and cheese is browned. |
23 responses so far ↓
1 sippitysup // Jan 4, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Here’s to New Traditions. Especially yummy ones. GREG
2 Alta // Jan 4, 2010 at 12:59 pm
These sound so delish. I have been craving cabbage (is that weird?) and this would be just the thing!
3 DINING WITH BATALI // Jan 4, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Cheers to one of the best chefs! love this dish..i’ll try for my hungry italian hubby
4 Trix // Jan 4, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Stuffed cabbage is the perfect thing to make in winter … I’m looking forward to your black eyed peas!!!
5 Dimitry Mishchuk // Jan 4, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Love this dish, I’m from Ukraine and we called them goluptzi, we always made them with ground beef and rice mixture and served them with some sour cream, makes one great meal.
6 Sook // Jan 4, 2010 at 1:25 pm
cabbage rolls are such a healthy way to enjoy all the flavors that i love! Thanks for this recipe.
7 Ingeborg // Jan 4, 2010 at 1:38 pm
I always make red cabbage…the German way, and we also make cabbage stuffed with meat, usually large ones. Made with beef, veal and pork. Italian sausage is very good. I haven’t made the stuffed cabbage rolls in a very long time.
8 PT // Jan 4, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Dear Chef,
I love this because its different from how I make them with lemon sauce. Thank you for sharing.
PT
Just reposted: http://ptsaldari.posterous.com Would love your comments.
9 Kian // Jan 4, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Happy New Year Ryan! And what a great meal to start the new year.
10 Lana // Jan 4, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Love stuffed cabbage rolls! And what a unique idea to combine the traditional New Year’s foods into them. Thanks for sharing this one.
11 MaryMoh // Jan 4, 2010 at 3:56 pm
I love that. I made cabbage rolls once but the Chinese way, which is gently cooked. Can be steamed, too. But I would love to try this baked version. Thanks for sharing.
12 Gera @ SweetsFoods // Jan 4, 2010 at 5:51 pm
So happy that the blog theme was solved and also with this lovely recipe rolls.. drooling with it 🙂
Big Cheers for the 2010!!
Gera
13 Drick // Jan 4, 2010 at 6:19 pm
the last photo looks so wonderful with the sauce & cheese – I normally use country sausage, will certainly do the Italian next time – and soon, this made me hungry….
14 pegasuslegend // Jan 4, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Make these often love them yours look great!
15 Jessie // Jan 4, 2010 at 9:31 pm
this is such a great winter recipe, perfect on a cold night like today
16 HoneyB // Jan 4, 2010 at 9:42 pm
I love cabbage rolls. My mom used to make them often….and I just tried them for the first time myself not too long ago!
17 penny aka jeroxie // Jan 5, 2010 at 12:00 am
this is a good tradition to have. you make the wrapping look so easy! I will probably tear it.
18 Conor @ HoldtheBeef // Jan 5, 2010 at 12:36 am
I’ve never made these before, so thanks for the step by step photos. I will definitely be giving these a shot.
19 sizzlechef // Jan 5, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Yummy. Thank you for sharing. Cheers!
20 Kristi Rimkus // Jan 6, 2010 at 1:12 am
I agree. You make these look easy to make, and they look delicious!
21 wasabi prime // Jan 6, 2010 at 1:14 pm
My mom would make stuffed cabbage rolls like these on wintery days and what an amazing comfort they are! What a lovely tradition, and so easy to modify from year to year!
22 Shelly @ Experimental Culinary Pursuits // Jan 7, 2010 at 2:53 am
I didn’t know there was a stuffed cabbage tradition! For chinese new year, we make dumplings and hide some dates in them, and whoever gets the hidden gems will have extra good luck for the upcoming year. In any case, this looks great! I’m actually debating between stuffed cabbage or fresh lettuce wraps to serve at my housewarming later on this month. You’ve given me some inspiration!
23 redkathy // Jan 8, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Oh Chef I haven’t had these since I was a kid! I loved them. Think you could send me a care package, the look fab!!