Tender Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, with Pork, Mushrooms & Rice
Ingredients
Tender Stuffed Cabbage Rolls With Pork, Mushrooms & Rice
2 medium cabbage heads, cored, steamed, leaves separated
½ cup lard, melted
2 cups long grain rice
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 lb. ground meat (pork)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
¼ cup chopped dill
16 oz. tomato vegetable juice
Directions
1. In a large pot filled ¾ of way with boiling water, add cored cabbage head, blanch, 5-8 minutes, removing one leaf at a time until leaves are soft and pliable. Set leaves aside to cool.
2. Cook rice in a pot of boiled salted water, about 10 minutes, al dente, drain, set aside.
3. Melt lard in a large saucepan, add chopped onions, and mushrooms, sauté until tender and caramelized.
4. Mix onions, mushrooms, carrot, with the ground meat, the cooked rice, season very well with salt, pepper, and fresh dill, garlic, sauté together 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
5. Assemble rolls. Remove hard spine of each cabbage leaf.
6. Place 3 tablespoons +- of filling mixture at bottom center of each leaf, fold both sides in, roll tightly to opposite end.
7. Place rolls in a large baking dish, greased well with lard, bottom covered with empty cabbage leaves. You can place more than one layer of rolls.
8. Cover each layer of rolls with tomato vegetable juice, sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper. Top pan with cabbage leaves, spread more tomato juice on top. Cover with foil.
9. Bake in preheated oven, at 350F for about 1 ½ -2 hours until hot and bubbly and meat is fully cooked.
10. Serve hot with sour cream and fresh dill.