Kaalikääryleet (Cabbage Rolls)
Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned ground pork and beef, then simmered in tomato sauce until meltingly soft. A comforting Scandinavian classic that tastes even better the next day.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 1 head (about 2 lbs) Green cabbage, whole head
- ½ lb Ground pork
- ½ lb Ground beef
- ½ cup White rice, cooked
- ½ medium Onion, yellow
- 1 can (14 oz) Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup Beef broth
- ½ cup Sour cream
Instructions
- 1
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat — you should see big bubbles breaking the surface constantly, about 8 minutes.
- 2
Carefully place the whole cabbage into the boiling water using tongs. The hot water will soften the leaves so they peel away easily.
- 3
After 10 minutes, use tongs to gently peel away the outer leaves and set them on a cutting board. The leaves should bend without tearing. Repeat until you have about 12 leaves.
- 4
Cut away the thick white vein from the inside of each cabbage leaf by laying it flat and slicing lengthwise along both sides of the vein, then removing it. This lets the leaf roll smoothly.
- 5
Mince the onion into pieces smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots — so it blends into the filling.
- 6
In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork, ground beef, cooked rice, minced onion, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper with your hands until just combined — do not overmix.
- 7
Place one cabbage leaf on the cutting board with the smoother side facing down. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of the leaf, closer to the stem end.
- 8
Fold the stem end of the leaf up and over the filling, then fold the left side over the filling, then the right side, rolling it into a tight cylinder about 3 inches long.
- 9
Repeat filling and rolling with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling. You should have 8–10 rolls depending on leaf size.
- 10
Pour the crushed tomatoes into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and stir in the beef broth and 0.5 teaspoon salt until even. This creates the braising liquid.
- 11
Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down in a single layer in the tomato mixture. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the rolls.
- 12
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place it in a 350°F oven — wait until the indicator light or beep confirms the oven is heated, about 10 minutes, before placing the dish inside.
- 13
Braise the rolls uncovered for 25 minutes. They should be tender and the liquid should bubble gently around the edges when you tilt the dish.
- 14
Remove the baking dish from the oven using oven mitts. Let it cool for 5 minutes so the sauce is no longer boiling when you stir.
- 15
Gently stir the sour cream into the sauce until streaky and partially blended — do not fully blend it; some white swirls look beautiful.
- 16
Spoon the cabbage rolls onto plates with the sauce spooned over and around them. Serve immediately with rye bread or boiled potatoes on the side.
Tools you’ll need
- Large pot (6+ quarts)
- Tongs
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Large mixing bowl
- 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- Aluminum foil
- Oven
- Oven mitts
- Wooden spoon
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