Best Gorkys Cafe Golabki Stuffed Cabbage Recipes

GOLABKI (STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• For the sauce: Heat up tomatoes in a saucepan over medium-low heat until they begin to boil, then remove them from the heat. With an immersion blender, blend in cubed butter one piece at a time until the sauce is smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and a dash of cayenne if you like it a little spicy, but not enough to scare your Mom-Mom.
• For the cabbage: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Slice off the bottom of the cabbage head and insert the knife around the core to make a square of insertions into the core of the cabbage. (Do not completely core the cabbage.)
• When the pot is boiling gently, drop the cabbage head in and boil it until outer leaves are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the cabbage head and wait a minute for it to cool, then begin to gently peel the outer leaves away. When the leaves are no longer soft and they become hard to peel, place the cabbage head back into the boiling water for another 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat removing the leaves and then boiling the cabbage until you get down to the core or the leaves become too small. (It's a good idea to boil extra cabbage leaves so you have the extras just in case the leaves rip.)
• Saute onions with a dash of canola oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat until onions are translucent. Combine sauteed onions with cooked white rice and allow to cool.
• Combine ground beef, pork, veal, eggs, onion and rice mixture and salt and pepper in a large stainless steel bowl. Mix until well combined, then set aside. (We'll call this the filling from here out.)
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place 1/4 cup filling into the bottom of a cabbage leaf. Tuck the sides of the leaf in and roll the leaf up and over and make a small package. Place the finished roll seam-side down in a 12-by-10-inch baking pan that's at least 2 1/2 inches deep. Continue with the remaining leaves and filling and tuck them tightly into the baking pan. Pour 1 inch vegetable stock into the bottom of the baking pan. Cover the cabbage rolls with a sheet of parchment paper, then cover in foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove cabbage rolls from the oven and turn it down to 325 degrees F. Take off (but reserve) foil and parchment paper. Pour off the vegetable stock (no need to save it; it'll taste like cabbage water...yum). Top the drained cabbage leaves with just enough tomato sauce to coat the top of the cabbage and make a small pool under the rolls. Replace the parchment paper and foil and bake the cabbage rolls 45 minutes more.
• Serve the finished golabki by topping them with a ladle of the reserved sauce, a little fresh dill, and a dollop of sour cream.

CLASSIC GOłąBKI: POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS WITH TOMATO SAUCE (PORK & RICE)

Steps:

• Wash the cabbage under running water. Even though the inside is usually clean (the outer leaves protect the inside), you might want to clean it anyway. Remove the tough outer leaves and discard them. Separate the inner leaves and wash them under running water.
• Cut out the stalk from the head.
• Grab a large cooking pot, large enough for the whole cabbage head to fit. Pour water in and bring it to boil. Add a solid pinch of salt and sugar and stir.
• Blanch the cabbage head in the boiling water, core side down. After a few minutes (2-3), the leaves should peel off easily. If not - cook it for a few more minutes.
• Remove cabbage to a baking tray, but keep the water in the pot.
• (Optional) To keep a more vibrant colour, you can place the leaves into ice water - that will slow down the cooking process.
• Set ten best leaves (largest, unbroken) aside. Using a paring knife, cut the main 'vein' out from each cabbage leaf and trim from the bottom with a knife.
• Peel an onion and dice it finely. Finely chop the garlic with a knife.
• Heat up a tablespoon or two of oil, add in chopped onion. When it turns golden, add chopped garlic and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, cooked rice, a tablespoon marjoram, and cooled down onion/garlic.
• Season with salt and pepper, mix thoroughly - no special tools are necessary, you can use your hands. This mass will be our stuffing.
• Lay the cabbage leaf flat. Place about ¼-⅓ cup of meat mixture in the centre of a cabbage leaf. Gather the edges of the cabbage inwards and roll it tightly. Continue until you have 10 decent-sized rolls.
• Line the bottom of the large cooking pot with some of the remaining pre-cooked leaves - this prevents the dish from burning.
• Place the cabbage rolls in the pot, in layers, one on top of another. Cover with a layer of remaining leaves.
• Pour the stock in. Cook on a medium heat, covered for about 40-50 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Not every cabbage is the same, you'll have to check how soft it is as you go.
• When the cabbage rolls are nearly done, let's make the tomato sauce.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan. When melted, add in the flour. Whisk together and cook for a bit until it gains some colour.
• Pour in around a cup (250 ml) of the stock that got made from cooking the cabbage rolls. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
• Pour in 2 cups of tomato passata/purée and add a tablespoon of tomato paste. Bring to a boil yet again, then reduce the heat to a minimum.
• Season with salt and ground pepper. If the tomatoes are too acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavours.
• Continue cooking until you reach a desired thickness.
• Serve cooked cabbage rolls, with tomato sauce on top or on the side.
• Garnish with some freshly chopped dill or parsley leaves.

GOLABKI (STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place cabbage head into water, cover pot, and cook until cabbage leaves are slightly softened enough to remove from head, 3 minutes. Remove cabbage from pot and let cabbage sit until leaves are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
• Remove 18 whole leaves from the cabbage head, cutting out any thick tough center ribs. Set whole leaves aside. Chop the remainder of the cabbage head and spread it in the bottom of a casserole dish.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion in hot butter until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool.
• Stir onion, beef, pork, rice, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place about 1/2 cup beef mixture on a cabbage leaf. Roll cabbage around beef mixture, tucking in sides to create an envelope around the meat. Repeat with remaining leaves and meat mixture. Place cabbage rolls in a layer atop the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish; season rolls with salt and black pepper.
• Whisk tomato soup, tomato juice, and ketchup together in a bowl. Pour tomato soup mixture over cabbage rolls and cover dish wish aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked through, about 1 hour.

GOLABKI (POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• 1. Remove the core from the cabbage and place the whole head into a large pot filled with boiling water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off leaves.
• 2. Remove about 30 leaves and cut the large hard stem out. Chop remaining cabbage.
• 3. Brown pork and beef in a skillet, add cooked rice and mix thoroughly.
• 4. Place a heaping tablwspoonful of meat mixture onto each cabbage leaf. Tuck sides over filling while rolling up the leaf.
• 5. Place half the chopped cabbage into a large dutch oven. Fill with layers of cabbage rolls. Cover with remaining chopped cabbage.
• 6. Mix tomato soup, water and season salt together and pour over cabbage rolls.
• 7. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

STUFFED CABBAGE - GOLABKI

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, par cook rice in 1 tsp salt and 1 cup of water until is absorbed. Remove from heat and uncover. Core cabbage & carefully place in boiling water. Remove leaves with a fork or tongs as they blanche and lace in colander to drain and cool. You should get 20 or more leaves. Any extra cabbage leftover (small leaves and such) can be cut up and placed in the bottom of pot you will be cooking them in.
• 2. Remove heavy vein from each leaf on the back by gently slicing it off. Be careful not to cut a hole into leaf.
• 3. Cabbage is ready to fill with the meat mixture.
• 4. Combine pork, beef, onion, garlic, salt & pepper and mix well. Place a small amount of meat mixture at the base of the cabbage leaf, approx. 1/3 of a cup give or take a little. Roll till bottom edge nearly covers the meat mixture and then fold in the sides and continue rolling and place the seam-side down into the cooking pot.
• 5. Continue until all the leaves are stuffed. If you have any extra meat you can roll into balls and place on top of the stuffed cabbage. Sprinkle the brown sugar and pour tomato sauce over al stuffed cabbages. Pour 2 - 4 cups of cabbage water over top. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour.
• 6. Here is a pic of the cabbages cookin' in the pot.
• 7. Once they are done, you can immediately plate with some sauce poured over the top of the cabbages and baked potatoes. Or if you want eat them the way I did without the extra sauce. Either way is delicious!

GORKY'S CAFE GOLABKI (STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees and start by making the sauce, by combining all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmering it for about 10 minutes, reduce the sauce until it is slightly thick, set aside.
• Cook the cabbage in a large pot of boiling water, until tender, takes several minutes; then cool and core the cabbage carefully, and separate the leaves.
• Combine beef, (or bulgar or buckwheat) rice, eggs, onions, carrots and salt and pepper, mix well; roll the filling into 8 balls; place each ball on the lower third of a large cabbage leaf; tuck in the sides and bottom of the cabbade leaf and place, steam side down, in a baking dish.
• Pour sauce over the cabbage rolls, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes longer or until slightly browned.