Ingredients
Cabbage
- 1whole soured cabbage head, savanyú káposzta, or 16 sauerkraut leaves
- 500 gshredded sauerkraut
Filling
- 700 gminced pork, with good fat content
- 150 grice, rinsed
- 1onion, finely chopped
- 3 clovesgarlic
- 1egg
- 2 tbspsweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tspground black pepper
- 1 tspdried marjoram
- salt
Pot
- 300 gsmoked pork ribs, or smoked hock
- 150 gsmoked bacon, sliced
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tspcaraway seed
- 1 tbsppaprika
- 1 litrewater or stock
To finish
- 2 tbsplard
- 2 tbspflour
- 1 tbsppaprika
- 200 mlsour cream
To serve
- sour cream
- fresh bread
Directions
- Taste one first. If it is aggressively sour, rinse the leaves briefly; if it is mild, do not rinse at all, because you would wash away the flavour of the dish. Cut out the thick central rib of each leaf, or shave it flat with a knife. Mix the pork with the rinsed raw rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, pepper, marjoram and salt.
- Use only a modest amount of rice. It swells to three times its volume and too much bursts the rolls open. Use pork with a decent fat content, since lean mince gives dry, tight rolls.
- Fry a small piece of the mixture and taste it to check the seasoning before rolling. That test piece takes two minutes and it is the only chance you have to adjust it. Roll them loosely rather than tightly, leaving room for the rice to expand. Put half the shredded sauerkraut in the base of a heavy pot.
- Lay the smoked ribs and bacon over it. Pack the rolls in tightly, seam side down, in layers. Pack them close so they hold each other closed during the long cook. Cover with the remaining sauerkraut, the bay and the caraway.
- Mix the paprika into the water and pour it in, to about three-quarters of the depth. Never add paprika to fiercely hot fat or a boiling pot directly. Stir it into liquid or into fat off the heat. Put a plate on top to keep the rolls submerged.
- Bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook very gently for 2 to 2 hours 30 minutes. Keep it at the barest simmer. Do not stir at any point; shake the pot gently if needed.
- Make a light roux with lard, flour and paprika, off the heat for the paprika, then whisk in a ladle of the cooking liquid and stir it back into the pot. Simmer it for 10 minutes more. Serve it in deep bowls with a spoonful of sour cream on top and fresh bread.
Technique
- Whole soured cabbage heads are sold in Hungarian, Polish and Balkan shops.
- It is genuinely better after a day or two and is often made ahead.
- Sarma, holubtsi and gołąbki are the regional relatives.
Substitutions
- Blanched fresh cabbage leaves with extra sauerkraut, if soured heads are unavailable.
- Smoked bacon or hock in place of smoked ribs.
Variations
- Kolozsvári töltött káposzta, layered with extra smoked meat.
- Made with a mix of pork and beef.
- Without the roux, which is lighter.
History
Töltött káposzta, rolled in sour cabbage and cooked with smoked pork, a Christmas and wedding dish shared with the whole region.
Frequently asked questions
What is Stuffed cabbage?
Stuffed cabbage is a main from Hungary: cabbage rolls of pork and rice over sauerkraut. Töltött káposzta, rolled in sour cabbage and cooked with smoked pork, a Christmas and wedding dish shared with the whole region.
How long does Stuffed cabbage take to make?
Stuffed cabbage takes 1 hr of preparation and 2 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Stuffed cabbage?
Yes, within limits. Blanched fresh cabbage leaves with extra sauerkraut, if soured heads are unavailable. Smoked bacon or hock in place of smoked ribs.
What is the most important thing to get right in Stuffed cabbage?
Taste one first. If it is aggressively sour, rinse the leaves briefly; if it is mild, do not rinse at all, because you would wash away the flavour of the dish. Cut out the thick central rib of each leaf, or shave it flat with a knife. Mix the pork with the rinsed raw rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, pepper, marjoram and salt.
