Stuffed Cabbages Rolls

Ingredients

1 cup COOKED long-grain rice (or similar variety)

1.5 pounds lean ground beef (or ‘extra lean’)

1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg

1 yellow onion, peeled and minced

⅓ cup parsley, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried dill

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

42 ounces tomato sauce, divided (Three 398 millilitre cans or 14 ounce cans (roughly 5 cups). See point 5 below in recipe ‘Notes.’)

1 medium head green cabbage (you’ll need about 18 leaves for the rolls and another 8 to 10 or so for the bottom of the dish and over top.)

half cup of water (leftover from boiling cabbage)

fresh dill, chopped (garnish, optional)

Directions

Prepare rice according to package instructions and set aside. While it cooks, preheat your oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, add the ground beef, Worcestershire, egg, cooked rice, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, dill, onion powder, chili flakes (if using), and ½ cup of the tomato sauce. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Carefully submerge the cabbage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it gently once. Don’t drain the water—it will be reused later to soften more leaves and to make the sauce. Tip: Don’t overfill the pot. Test displacement with the cabbage before boiling.

Let cabbage cool slightly until safe to handle. Gently peel off the leaves and trim the thick center stem from each. If leaves resist peeling, return the cabbage to the boiling water briefly, cool again, and resume separating leaves.

Line the bottom of a 9″x13″ baking dish or roasting pan with a few cabbage leaves. Scoop about ¼ cup of the meat mixture into a leaf, fold in sides, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the dish. Repeat with remaining mixture and cabbage.

Blend the rest of the tomato sauce with ½ cup of the cabbage cooking water. Stir until fully combined. Pour this sauce over the filled cabbage rolls in the baking dish.