Asian Stuffed Cabbage Recipes

JAPANESE STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.
• Mince the onion. With the knife tip pointing toward the root, thinly slice the onion within ½ inch off the base. Then slice the onion horizontally.
• Then cut perpendicular to the first slices you made. If the onions need to be chopped finer, you can run your knife through them in a rocking motion.
• In a frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat and sauté onion until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.
• Start boiling 2 QT (2L) water and add 1 tsp salt when boiling. Remove the center core of the cabbage with a knife.
• Completely submerge the whole cabbage and cook the cabbage until the leaves are pliable and started to peel off, about 5 minutes. Using kitchen tongs or a fork, peel off and take out loosen outer cabbage leaves from the pot.
• Soak the cabbage leaves in iced water to stop the cooking process. Remove excess water from them with a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towel. Trim the tough, thick center vein at the base of each leaf (upside-down V shape). Alternatively, you can shave down this thick part. For a beginner cook, I recommend simply cutting it off.
• Chop the thick veins into small pieces, which will be added to the stuffing.
• In a large bowl, mix the meat, sautéed onion, and the chopped vein parts of the cabbage with your clean hands or a rubber spatula.
• Add 1 egg, ⅓ cup (20 g) panko, 2 Tbsp milk, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper.
• Mix well until the mixture is sticky and combined. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes (this step is optional; however, it helps to solidify fat, keeps the meat juicy and prevents from drying out, and enhances and traps the umami flavor).
• Try to divide the mixture into 12 equal parts (I roughly divided into 8 first and adjusted the amounts later).
• Put 1 Tbsp of the flour into a fine sieve for dusting. Working with 1 leaf at a time, overlap the bottom of the cabbage leaf where you see the upside-down V-shape. Lightly dust the flour over the cabbage leaf. The flour helps the stuffing stick to the cabbage and acts as a binding agent. Add the stuffing in the center of the bottom part of the cabbage leaf.
• Starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up tightly, tucking in the sides of the leaf as you roll.
• Use one hand to pull the edge of the leaf and roll the fillings tightly toward the edge.
• Insert a toothpick to seal and secure the edge so the roll doesn't fall apart while cooking (optional). Repeat with the remaining leaves and stuffing.
• What if the cabbage leaf is broken? You can still use it. Use a smaller cabbage leaf to "patch" up and roll the fillings the same way.
• In a large pot (I use 6 ¾ QT oval Dutch oven), heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat and cook 2 bay leaves and minced garlic until fragrant. Then stir in the diced tomatoes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 Tbsp white wine, ½ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper, and bring it to simmer on medium heat.
• Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam side down, in the pot. If there are open spaces, stuff the leftover cabbage in the opening so the cabbage rolls won't move around while cooking. Add 1 cup (240 ml) chicken/vegetable broth.
• Place Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the cabbage rolls. If you don't have a drop lid or your pot is not round, you can make it with aluminum foil (see the tutorial here). Cover to cook on medium heat. After boiling, lower the heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add ½ Tbsp (7 g) butter to give it a little shine and more flavor.
• When you are ready to serve, carefully pick up the stuffed cabbage roll with kitchen tongs and put in a serving dish. Remove the toothpick and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with parsley and serve.

ASIAN STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine beef, mushrooms, rice, garlic, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Remove 8 large outer leaves from cabbage (if leavesare less than 5 inches wide, overlap 2 leaves, side byside). With a rolling pin, roll each leaf until the stemend is pliable.
• Dividing among leaves, mound meat mixturetoward upturned stem end. Starting from filled end,holding sides in as you work, tightly roll each leafinto a bundle.
• Arrange cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour 1 cup water over rolls;cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until aninstant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted into a roll, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with juices and sprinkled with red pepper, if desired.

STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Remove the entire core of the cabbage with a paring knife. Immerse the head of cabbage in the boiling water for a few minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it s flexible. Set the leaves aside. Depending on the size of each leaf, you will need at least 14 leaves.
• For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble, place 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Remove the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with a small paring knife. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling in an oval shape near the rib edge of each leaf and roll up toward the outer edge, tucking the sides in as you roll. Place half the cabbage rolls, seam sides down, over the sauce. Add more sauce and more cabbage rolls alternately until you ve placed all the cabbage rolls in the pot. Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover the dish tightly with the lid and bake for 1 hour or until the meat is cooked and the rice is tender. Serve hot.

ASIAN STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400º.
• In a large bowl, combine: ground beef sirloin, shiitake mushrooms, brown rice, garlic cloves, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt.
• Remove 8 large outer leaves from cabbage (if leaves are less than 5 inches wide, overlap 2 leaves, side by side). With a rolling pin, roll each leaf until the stem end is pliable.
• Dividing among leaves, mound meat mixture toward upturned stem end. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll each leaf into a bundle.
• Arrange cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour 1 cup water over rolls; cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160º when in­serted into a roll, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with juices and sprinkled with red pepper, if desired. (Or dip in Thai Dipping Sauce #33113 - Yum!).

GINGERY CABBAGE ROLLS WITH PORK AND RICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt.
• Prepare the cabbage: Remove about 12 large outer leaves, reserving the rest of the cabbage for another use. Once the water boils, lower the heat to medium so that the water reaches a gentle boil. Add the cabbage leaves, about 4 at a time, and cook until tender and flexible but leaves remain intact and maintain their crunch, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a towel-lined plate and set aside to cool slightly while you make the filling. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves.
• Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine pork, rice, egg, scallions, ginger and soy sauce with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Assemble the cabbage rolls: Working with one cooked cabbage leaf at a time, place it on a cutting board or other flat surface with its stem end at the bottom. Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of the pork mixture in the center and mold the mixture into a rough 2- to 3-inch log. Pull the stem end over the meat mixture, and fold the right and left sides of the leaf over and roll tightly to the very top. Place the cabbage rolls seam-side down in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof, straight-sided saucepan. Repeat with the remaining cabbage and pork filling.
• Pour the chicken broth over the cabbage rolls and bring to a boil over medium. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven, and bake until cabbage rolls are fork tender and the meat mixture is cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve with ladles of broth over the rolls and a drizzle of sesame oil.

ASIAN STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine beef, mushrooms, rice, garlic, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 2. Remove 8 large outer leaves from cabbage (if leaves are less than 5 inches wide, overlap 2 leaves, side by side). With a rolling pin, roll each leaf until the stem end is pliable. 3. Dividing among leaves, mound meat mixture toward upturned stem end. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll each leaf into a bundle. 4. Arrange cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour 1 cup water over rolls; cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted into a roll, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with juices and sprinkled with red pepper, if desired.