Kiev Style Stuffed Cabbage

My mother's family was from Kiev. She made stuffed cabbage and it always had rice as a binder. The next time I encountered rice as the binder was at Kramarczuk's in Minneapolis.

'You use rice in the cabbage' I said. 'Where are you from?'

'Kiev' they answered.

Curious I thought to myself. The culinary DNA was pan cultural, cross DNA. Mine Jewish. Kramarczuk's gentile.

So here it is, perfected.

Kiev style stuffed cabbage

For the filling
2-1/4 lb ground meat, equal parts beef, pork and veal. Don’t spare the fat.
2/3 cup uncooked white rice
½ cup raisins, good quality, organic if possible
4 eggs
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp salt

Saute onion and garlic. Add rice and salt and raisins. Remove from heat, let cool. Beat eggs. Saute a spoonful to check and adjust seasoning. Combine all ingredients, set aside.

For the sauce:
2- 28 oz can whole tomatoes, good quality (San Marzano, or Trader Joes no salt etc)
1 quart chicken stock
½ cup light brown sugar
4 oz fresh ginger, sliced 1/8”
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 Tbs ground coriander
1 Tbs ground cumin
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ cup raisins
1 tsp salt
All the cabbage leaves from the core, too small to make rolls, shredded

Separate the tomatoes from the liquid. Julienne the tomatoes. Over medium heat, add oil to heavy bottomed large pot and toast/saute cumin and coriander for a few minutes. Add crushed red pepper and ginger, saute lightly. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, set aside.

The cabbage:
The cabbage has to be softened. You can blanch the whole head in a steamer rack over boiling water for ten minutes, then shock in ice water back to room temp. Or, you can freeze the cabbage, then allow to defrost. Either way discard the one or two outermost leaves, but save the leaves that are too small for rolls and set aside, as per the above. It would be chef like to use Savoy cabbage, but the leaves are too delicate for our purposes. Regular old cabbage works best, big heads because we want lots of big leaves.

The rolls:
Use about 1-1/2 golfball sized rounds of filling per roll. Bear in mind that rice and eggs expand. Think about making all the rolls the same size, even though the leaves are all different. Leave no slack as you wrap cabbage around filling. As the leaves get smaller, you can use two or even three to make a roll. After you have made a few you’ll get the hang of it. Accumulate all rolls and set aside.

Assembly
Carefully place rolls in pot with sauce. Either bring to a boil slowly (you CANNOT stir else you'll break the rolls) and simmer for an hour or so, or place the covered pot (Le Creuset Dutch oven is very good for this) in a 350F oven for about 75 minutes. Test for doneness. The rice in the rolls should be tender, almost like the rice in a good rice pudding.

Finishing the sauce, and plating
Carefully remove rolls from pot and place in serving/ovenable dishes (Covered casserole type dishes). Then remove all solids and carefully arrange over and around rolls, as you please. Return uncovered pot to high flame. Boil and reduce liquid until sauce thickly coats a wooden spoon. Adjust seasoning and brown sugar/vinegar as necessary. Add reduced sauce back to casserole dishes. Should be enough sauce to just barely immerse the cabbage rolls.

My Hungarian mom made essentially the same thing, sans raisins - and with only ground beef as we had a Kosher home. On a recent trip to Paris we had a great choux farcis prepared similarly but with ground lamb and rice. However, they used savoy cabbage for the wrapper which removed the bitter note from the dish and made it close to perfect.

Good looking recipe. There appears to be many variations of stuffed cabbage from the East Euro Area's. We are Croatian and make Sarma. My family way is to use beef, pork, and fresh polish taken out of the casings, along with the eggs, rice, onion, garlic, savory, S&P. We don't use tomato's at all. We use Sauer Kraut on the bottom and in between layers. The freeze method on the cabbage works well, but sour heads are best if available. I like all of the variations and the one you describe certainly looks very good.

Hi,

When you made sarma, was it is with fermented cabbage leaves?

Regards,

Tnx Steve, I've been looking for this for some time. In the early 90s I had some reno work done on the house in KC. My contractor was a comic ironist Jew, who'd departed Kiev in the early 80s after finishing military service. His wife came out a year or so later and they commenced to settle and make family in KC. I fed Natan a couple of times as he worked and he appreciated my culinary sensibility (such as it was), and he ended up bringing me home for his wife's stuffed cabbage. Damn! I finagled invites on and off over the years, but no way was she going to spill the recipe's beans to me. At all.

But your recipe sounds exactly right. Natan of course used Kosher ground pork in the mix. Can't wait to hear what Binko says about this!

Geo

This recipe sounds good and dredges up memories of my Bubbie's Halupches (sp?), the recipe for which unfortunately died with her. Her's didn't use any pork, but these sound very good and close to her recipe.

P.S. When Manny's has these on the steam table, they are right on!

There's a meat market in KC Kansas (right down in the center of that city's former Slavic settlement), Krizman's, which makes a very close version of this, but the sauce is pretty much like a spicy version of Campbell's tomato soup. The rolls use lots of fat in the stuffing, hence, *quite* juicy! Mmmmmm.

Geo

Puckjam wrote: We use Sauer Kraut on the bottom and in between layers. The freeze method on the cabbage works well, but sour heads are best if available.

Sauerkraut fiend here--and definitely going to be trying this.

I can't resist...

Dialog from Death Wish 3 starring Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey the vigilante. Keep in mind that because he is a vigilante, he doesn't really have a home, which pretty much makes him a professional mooch. His new friend Bennett takes him to the source of the aroma in the building.

Bennett: These are the Kaprov's, this is Mr. Kersey.
Kersey: How do you do.
Bennett: Mr. Kersey was admiring your dinner.
Ms. Kaprov (shurgs as if it's no big deal): Stuffed cabbage.
Kersey (desperate but humble): Smells wonderful.
Mr. Kaprov: Would you like to join us?
Kersey (smiling): Sure!

Well, Charles Bronson was Lithuanian, so I'm not surprised he'd like that kind of thing.

Anyone have any info on sauering a whole head of cabbage?? I could see some distinct advantages to that!

Geo

Geo wrote:Anyone have any info on sauering a whole head of cabbage?? I could see some distinct advantages to that!

I've been looking into that a bit myself. Pederson, Niketić & Albury's "Fermentation of the Yugoslavian Pickled Cabbage" from 1962 would be an excellent place to start. In Chicago one can find fermented heads for sale, both commercially packed and house made. Ever thought about pickling a whole watermelon?

My Grandma always called them "chalupkes" also,
And used rice and beef, no raisins.
Mine are awesome ( per the Hubby)

*Totally* well-done Rene G!!

This will happen in Montréal soon after the New Year. Tnx so much!

Geo
PS. But why would one *want* to pickle a whole watermelon? [Actually, even as I wrote those words, the answer to my query began unrolling in my head... ]

I am glad you posted this. My mother made this, I don't think she added all the spices here and no raisins. I can't resist posting this recipe below for those that want something like it but are maybe too lazy or time compromised to make them. I am sure you could use cabbage you chopped up yourself, homemade stock, etc. if you are so inclined. I'd probably simmer it a bit longer and add my rice towards the end of cooking so it does not turn to mush.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup
1 lb hamburger...
1 onion chopped
1 large clove garlic
2 pounds cole slaw [in bag with carrots]
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 small cans beef broth [may need another can or 2]
2 cups water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rice uncooked
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper


Brown hamburger, onion and garlic. Add cole slaw and brown a bit longer. Add crushed tomatoes, 3 cans beef broth, and 2 cups water, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt and pepper. bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes covered. Add uncooked rice, cover and simmer for 45-55 minutes. Add additional beef broth if needed.

By the way my mother called them ga lump keys.

Sounds like ga lump keys but spelled golabki. @ least that's how my Polish buddies spell it.

Actually, Polish (and most Eastern European languages) have letters that don't exist in our alphabet and even some of the same letters are pronounced differently. So, in fact, the word in Polish is gołąbki. The third letter is not an "l" and it should be pronounced roughly like we pronounce a "w." The accent under the "a" changes its sound as well to a nasalized one.... Think "awn" without actually pronouncing the "wn," the sound is left to resonate back in your sinuses.

Which leads us back to Ukraine (or even to Russia), where it is golubtsy. Or the Czech version, called holubky (leaving entirely aside the etymological g/h issue). Or the Jewish (Ashkenazic, at any rate) holishkes. All of which, in my experience, include rice. (And we haven't even visited the outer reaches of the former Ottoman Empire where it would be sarma or sarmale or some sarm- related words.)

(This pedantic interruption has been brought to you by a former traveler (not a fellow traveler) in them there parts.)

And if you want a little more info, gołąbki literally means "little pigeons." (And, for those still interested, in Polish a single one is a gołąbek, while gołąbki is plural.) And, yeah, the Polish version is usually made with pork or beef & rice, but there are vegetarian versions made with mushrooms (which we eat on Lenten Fridays or Christmas Eve), and the grain can also be buckwheat or barley, if you like. The sauce usually is either tomato-based, a creamy mushroom sauce, or just plain broth/cooking liquid.

Hi,

In the last year, I saw a video of women gathered to make a large quantity of stuffed cabbage rolls. They were perhaps Russian, a mixture of ages from quite old to young married. At least for the camera, they were singing as they labored.

They made rather uniform cabbage rolls by tearing the large leaves after cutting out the solid rib. They filled them like a cone with some meat exposed at the top. They loaded the large pot like tamales.

Not really needing to go anywhere yesterday, I decided to make stuffed cabbage rolls. Boiled the cabbage head to unwind the leaves. The larger leaves were on the bottom and the small leaves on top. Leaves which were too small to bother were chopped and scattered on the bottom of a Dutch oven.

In the past, the plate of leaves was flipped the pile to begin with the larger leaves. Instead, filled the smaller leaves first and placed them on their sides in a circle. The larger leaves were in half at the rib. Depending on the size, either used a half leaf or quarters.

When adding the meat and rolling, I didn't always bother to fold the ends. Using this method, pretty much all my cabbage rolls were the same size.

There were some larger leaves, which were never filled. These were rolled and cut them into ribbons to lay on top, then added sauerkraut and bits of bacon.

To assure even heating, started heating the pot on the stove. Once there was some bubbles and steam, transferred to the oven for the remainder. The last ten minutes the lid was removed to crisp the bacon bits.

IF I can find that video, I will post it.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

In the last year, I saw a video of women gathered to make a large quantity of stuffed cabbage rolls. They were perhaps Russian, a mixture of ages from quite old to young married. At least for the camera, they were singing as they labored.

They made rather uniform cabbage rolls by tearing the large leaves after cutting out the solid rib. They filled them like a cone with some meat exposed at the top. They loaded the large pot like tamales.

I have a strong feeling those women were not from Kiev. And, by the way, no women from Kiev would ever use raisins, chicken stock (or any stock), cumin, coriander while making golubtsy. Little rice is OK.

Lenny007 wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

In the last year, I saw a video of women gathered to make a large quantity of stuffed cabbage rolls. They were perhaps Russian, a mixture of ages from quite old to young married. At least for the camera, they were singing as they labored.

They made rather uniform cabbage rolls by tearing the large leaves after cutting out the solid rib. They filled them like a cone with some meat exposed at the top. They loaded the large pot like tamales.

I have a strong feeling those women were not from Kiev. And, by the way, no women from Kiev would ever use raisins, chicken stock (or any stock), cumin, coriander while making golubtsy. Little rice is OK.

Sauerkraut and bacon in goubtsy? Really weird

Lenny007 wrote:Sauerkraut and bacon in goubtsy? Really weird

Hi,

It's a recipe that is allegedly Slovak.

Just to mess with your traditionalist feelings further: I mixed in chili sauce into the meat. I also make a tomato chutney specifically to use with stuffed cabbage.

It may not be your way of doing things, but it really does taste pretty good.

Best wishes!

Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:

Lenny007 wrote:Sauerkraut and bacon in goubtsy? Really weird

Hi,

It's a recipe that is allegedly Slovak.

Just to mess with your traditionalist feelings further: I mixed in chili sauce into the meat. I also make a tomato chutney specifically to use with stuffed cabbage.

It may not be your way of doing things, but it really does taste pretty good.


So you saw a video with a bunch of singing women who were "perhaps Russian" and you are offering Slovak recipe? With tomato chutney, bacon and sauerkraut? Could it get even weirder? I doubt, but I'll tell you something (secretly): there is no such thing as Kiev style cabbage rolls, period. And mixing chili sauce with the raw meat is clearly a bad taste. But I understand everyone here is almost from Kiev or nearby Moscow. And now this:

I'll track down my Nagymama's recipe for töltött káposzta - rolled cabbage. She individually covered all the ethnic bases in this thread. Came over in 1898 from Kis Geres (Little Village), Hungary, Now part of Slovakia, it is a mile from Hungary and a mile from the Ukraine.

Rolled cabbage/stuffed cabbage differs from country to country and within individual countries. Much like barbecue or hot dogs in the US or fresh sausage in Poland.

Rene G wrote:

Geo wrote:Anyone have any info on sauering a whole head of cabbage?? I could see some distinct advantages to that!

I've been looking into that a bit myself. Pederson, Niketić & Albury's "Fermentation of the Yugoslavian Pickled Cabbage" from 1962 would be an excellent place to start. In Chicago one can find fermented heads for sale, both commercially packed and house made.

Kraut heads imported from Croatia are on sale at the six Shop & Save stores for $0.99 per pound.





It's not something I check on regularly, but that strikes me as a very fair price. If anyone is interested, you have until Tuesday. I haven't used mine yet, but I plan to make Zagreb style stuffed cabbage (of course, everyone knows there is no such thing as Zagreb style cabbage rolls).

Wait, are these cabbage heads already fermented? Brilliant!

Joy wrote:Wait, are these cabbage heads already fermented? Brilliant!

Yup, next time you make cabbage rolls, you can wrap the stuffing in sauerkraut instead of mere cabbage. It is brilliant, at least to fans of sauerkraut.

According to Madig's website, "The first vacuum-packed sauerkraut head in the world was produced in 1973 in the present production unit of our company." And here is Madig's recipe for sarma (check out the sauerkraut moussaka recipe too).

My maternal grandmother always told us that her family hailed from Austria...well, I guess in 1911 when they left it was Austria, but upon further research it turned out to be what is now the southernmost edge of Poland along the Slovak border. Grandmom called her stuffed cabbage "prakes," and no pig was ever harmed in its making. There was a bit of rice in the filling (Mom says the proportion of rice increased when the family was short on cash), and the sauce was tomato-based and a bit sweet-and-sour, with ginger (not fresh, possibly ground, or sometimes even thickened with gingersnaps), golden raisins (not black raisins), and whole cranberry sauce. I've seen other recipes that used lemon juice as the souring agent, but Grandmom for sure never used sauerkraut or anything fermented.

Hi,

A year ago, I purchased what suggested was fermented cabbage leaves in a large jar from Poland. The leaves were folded in bundles like you typically experience with jarred grape leaves. After making a batch of stuffed cabbage with these, I was convinced they were not fermented. They did not have a sourness, instead it was limp and rather salty cabbage leaves. I think these were prepared similar to quick dill pickles, which are just not the same as fermented dill pickles.

Around Christmas there was a sale at Shop and Save on Madig vacuum packed whole fermented cabbage heads from Croatia. They are also referred to as sauerkraut, though not slivered cabbage, just the whole head instead. The nutrition label sticker states, "Pickled cabbage, Kiseli Kupus." Kiseli Kupus is translated to sour cabbage. At an early LTHforum holiday party, Vital Information brought one as a raffle gift. I really had some serious cabbage envy hoping to be the lucky winner.

I bought a 4.7 pound sour cabbage, which lingered in the refrigerator until I had time to make it. Meanwhile, I had visited Toria's highly recommended Danada Deli owned by Hungarians from Transylvania, which is part of Romania.

On a recent Saturday, Danada Deli posted on facebook they were offering cabbage rolls. Mom2 is a cabbage roll fiend. I called ahead to reserve three cabbage rolls. By the time I reached there a few hours later, our reserved rolls were all that was left.

These cabbage rolls had no tomato sauce. They did have a sprinkling of sauerkraut on top. The leaves did not seem to come from fresh cabbage. I asked the owner if these cabbage leaves were sauerkraut. She affirmed they were, then explained she uses tomato sauce only when making cabbage rolls from fresh cabbage. Interestingly, Mom2 like these cabbage rolls especially since they had no tomato sauce.

This weekend I finally committed myself to making cabbage rolls from the sour cabbage. I went to Madig's website for their recipes in English and specifically for Sarma, which is the fourth recipe down. I was specifically looking for what liquid was added, because this is without tomato sauce. I was tempted to add broth, though they used water, instead.

I filled my Dutch oven with sour cabbage rolls stuffed with pork, beef, bacon, rice, onions and garlic. Rereading the recipe just now, I realized I forgot the suggested Paprika. I then added water to just cover. I brought everything to a near boil, then moved it to the oven to finish.

My family, especially my Dad, really liked this new variant of a stuffed cabbage.

Note: I had anticipated using no more than two-pounds of meat. I ended up using over three pounds. Between the fermenting and any compression from vacuum sealing, there was far more leaves than expected in this sour cabbage head. I made a second batch of filling to finish all the leaves.

I liked the experience enough, I may sometime ferment a few whole heads of cabbage. Most of the methods have you core the cabbage before fermentation. This Madig head was not cored.

If you like sauerkraut and stuffed cabbage, you might want to entertain making a batch someday.

Regards,
CAthy2