Stuffed Cabbage My Mommom's Way! Noreen's Kitchen

Greetings! Happy New Year. As is my yearly tradition on this day, I prepare our favorite New Year's Day feast of Stuffed Cabbage and pork loin. A bit odd? Yes, but very delicious!
Stuffed cabbage is peasant food and delicious food. My Mommom made the stuffed cabbage in our family and I make it just like she did with very simple ingredients and flavors. I add the garlic and onion powder, she did not. The meat is simple and we allow each person to salt it as they desire. I do not add any salt or pepper in the preparation of this dish, one of the few meals that I do not season copiously. Because I simply does not need it!
Time consuming? Yes, but with a little preparation and the employment of a few basic kitchen appliances, you can have this put together in about an hour and in the oven to cook for about 2 to 3 hours. Then you can do other things while it bakes.
This is how I make stuffed cabbage.
2 large heads of cabbage
1 pound Ground Pork
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Pound Ground Veal
2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 1 pound bags of sauerkraut
1/2 gallon of tomato juice
2 cups rice
In a large mixer bowl combine meat, mixing until well incorporated and blended together.
Add in 2 cups of tomato juice and blend.
Add in Rice and blend well.
Cover meat mixture and set aside while you prepare the cabbage.
Remove core from cabbage with a paring knife, keeping the head in tact.
Place head of cabbage in a deep bowl, core side down, with about 3 cups of water in the bottom.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in microwave for 10 minutes. Check for doneness and allow to cook for and additional 5 minutes if necessary. You want the leaves to be pliable and soft.
Remove head of cabbage from bowl to a pan. Separate the leaves. When you reach the center of the cabbage, chop it into small cubes and place it in the bottom of your baking pan along with a bit of sauerkraut and crushed tomato and diced tomato.
Taking one leaf of cabbage, cut the stem out of it. Fold the leaf over itself where you cut out the stem.
Take a bit of meat filling and place it at the end closest to you, now roll the meat into the leaf like you would roll a burrito or an egg roll, folding in the sides as you go.
Place the cabbage roll in your baking dish. Continue until you have filled up the pan.
Chop any remaining cabbage leaves and sprinkle over the rolls, along with the remaining sauerkraut from one packet and the remaining diced and crushed tomatoes.
Pour 3 cups of tomato juice over the pan.
Place a piece of parchment paper over the pan then cover with 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place pan on a baking sheet that is lined with both foil and parchment for easy clean up.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours until the meat is cooked through and the rice is soft.
I used one packet of sauerkraut, 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 can of crushed tomatoes and 1 head of cabbage for 1 large 9 x 13 baking pan of cabbage. I made two pans. I also made 1 pan of porcupine meatballs which I cooked in 1 additional can each of the crushed and diced tomatoes.
You can make this as large or as small as you like. You can make a small pan of it with just one head of cabbage and a pound of meat and a bit of rice. Make sure that you use enough of the tomato juice so that your rice will steam properly.
I know this is a very long and drawn out recipe, But it is very worth it in the end.
I hope you try this and I hope you enjoy it.
As always, Happy Eating! and Happy New Year.