Steamed Cabbage-Beef Rolls with Sauce
Steamed cabbage-beef rolls stuffed with ground beef, rice, and sage, finished with a chili-tomato pan sauce. An Eastern European golubtsi-style dish with tender, juicy filling from steam cooking.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsStuffed cabbage rolls show up across Eastern European kitchens under different names (golubtsi in Russian, golabki in Polish, holishkes in Yiddish) but the technique is universal: blanched cabbage leaves wrapped around a seasoned meat-and-rice filling.
The steaming method here is what sets this recipe apart. Most American versions braise the rolls in sauce in the oven; this one steams them over simmering water in a wok or large pan. Steam keeps the cabbage leaves tender and the filling juicy without any risk of scorching.
Blanching the cabbage leaves three at a time for 3 minutes is the right amount of time. Under-blanched leaves crack when you try to roll them; over-blanched leaves tear and can’t hold the filling. Three minutes softens the veins without making them flimsy.
Sage is the secret spice that makes these taste old-world. A quarter teaspoon of ground sage adds the warm, earthy note that’s associated with European meat dishes without being identifiable as sage.
The chili-tomato sauce is spooned over the finished rolls separately rather than cooking them together. A 2-cup tomato juice base thickened with a butter-flour roux gives the sauce body to cling, and the ½ teaspoon chili powder adds a whisper of warmth without overpowering the cabbage.
Serve with sour cream and crusty bread, or over buttered egg noodles for a true Slavic feel.
Kitchen Tips
- Freeze the cabbage head whole for 2 days before using, then thaw. Freezing breaks down the leaves and eliminates the need for blanching altogether.
- Use cooked rice, not raw. Raw rice won’t cook through in the steaming time; pre-cooked rice just warms and stays fluffy.
- Pack the rolls tightly in the steaming dish. Loose rolls unravel during the 40-minute steam; tight packing keeps them sealed.
- Taste the filling before rolling. Cook off a small spoonful in a skillet to check seasoning, since raw beef hides flavor until cooked.
Variations
- Swap ground beef for ground pork, lamb, or a mix for different flavor profiles.
- Add ½ cup raisins to the filling for a traditional Jewish holishkes-style sweet-and-sour spin.
- Use the same filling in collard greens or grape leaves when cabbage isn’t available.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the core from cabbage. Under running water, carefully remove about 15 leaves to use for the recipe.
Have about 2 quarts water boiling; add 1 teaspoon of salt.
Dip the cabbage leaves in boiling water, 3 at a time, for about 3 minutes.
Remove with tongs, drain and set aside.
Mix the meat, onion, cooked rice, margarine, bread crumbs.
Lay a cabbage leaf on a flat surface.
Put 2 to 4 tablespoons of the mixture on each leaf, depending on the leaf size.
Put the meat near the base of the leaf, fold leaf up and over the meat, turning under the sides.
This will make about 15 rolls.
Place the rolls, seam side down, in a greased 2-quart Make two layers of the rolls. Place this dish on rack over 2 inches of simmering water in wok or large heavy pan with rack. Cover pan or wok and steam for 35 to 40 minutes. Melt 4 tablespoons margarine in a skillet. Add the salt, chili powder and the flour. Mix to a smooth paste. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the tomato juice. Return to heat and cook until it boils and thickens.
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