Petes Unstuffed Sweet Sour Cabbage Recipes

UNSTUFFED SWEET-AND-SOUR CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place cabbage in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet with broth, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered, turning cabbage occasionally, until very tender, about 45 minutes. (Add more broth or water if necessary.)
• Meanwhile, cook onion and remaining garlic in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in ground meats along with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.
• Pour sauce into skillet with cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

SPICY UNSTUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage and beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes; drain and discard grease.
• Stir diced tomatoes, onion, tomato paste, vinegar, chili powder, salt, and red pepper flakes into the sausage mixture; add cabbage and fold into the mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Combine the beef shanks and water in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Use a strainer to skim off any foam on the surface. Add the carrot pieces, whole onions, celery stalks, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmer for 4 hours, skimming the surface occasionally.
• Strain the stock. Discard the vegetables but reserve the meat. Allow the stock to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate overnight. When the beef shanks are cool, remove the meat from the bones. Discard bones and gristle. Dice the meat and any remaining marrow into small cubes. Cover the container and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, heat the vegetable oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and 1 diced onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cook 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly wilted and reduced in bulk, about 8 minutes.
• Remove the beef stock from the refrigerator; skim and discard any fat. Pour the stock into the pot; stir in the reserved chopped beef. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the soup, partially covered, until the cabbage is quite soft, about 1 hour.
• Stir in the lemon juice, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper. Add more water, if desired, for a thinner soup. Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.

SWEET AND SOUR STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Boil the heads of cabbage, one at a time, until softened but still firm, about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Combine the ground beef, eggs, cooked rice, 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup ketchup in a bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined.
• Prepare the cabbage leaves by shaving a slice off of the large vein in the center of the leaves so they'll be easier to roll. Place a heaping spoonful of the filling in the center of the leaf. Fold in the left and right edges and roll up the leaf from the bottom, forming a tight cylinder. Secure with toothpicks if necessary. Continue filling and rolling the leaves; save the smaller cabbage leaves and set them aside.
• Chop the reserved cabbage leaves. Place the chopped cabbage in a large pot. Add the sliced onion, crushed tomatoes, raisins, sour salt (citric acid powder), salt and pepper, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder. Stir in 1/2 cup of white sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the sweetness, if desired, by adding the additional 1/2 cup of sugar. Place the cabbage rolls into the sauce. Pour the remaining 1 cup of ketchup on top of the rolls. Cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook the rolls for 3 hours, basting the rolls every half hour.

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef and sausage in the hot pot until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess grease, reserving 2 tablespoons.
• Add onion and bell peppers to the same pot with meat drippings. Saute over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until all vegetables are slightly softened and fragrant, being careful not to burn, about 1 minute more. Pour in beef broth, diced tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots.
• Combine tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, tarragon, and Worcestershire in a separate bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved and add to the pot along with red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer until cabbage is cooked and flavors have melded, about 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve.

SWEET & SOUR STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place raisins in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes; drain and set aside., Fill a Dutch oven three-quarters full of water; bring to a boil. Add cabbage; cook for 2-3 minutes or just until leaves fall off head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls; chop remaining cabbage and set aside. Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each reserved leaf, making a V-shaped cut., Slice two onions and set aside; chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl, combine the chopped onion, egg, rice, carrots, salt, pepper and reserved raisins. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. , Place 1/4 cup meat mixture on each cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides. Beginning from the cut end, roll up completely to enclose filling., Place sliced onions and reserved chopped cabbage in a 13x9-in. baking dish. Arrange cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top. Combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice; pour over rolls. , Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and a thermometer reads 160°. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until sauce reaches desired consistency.

GRANDMA ELAINE'S UNSTUFFED SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place the vegetable oil into a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the sliced onions, and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, using a spoon to slightly chop the whole tomatoes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir the cabbage into the tomatoes. Cover, and simmer 1 hour until the cabbage is tender and mixes easily with the tomatoes.
• Place the ground beef, eggs, finely chopped onion, rice, water, additional 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix together with hands until thoroughly blended. Add additional rice if mixture is too moist. Form into golf ball-sized meatballs. Place meatballs on a plate, and refrigerate 20 minutes to firm.
• Place meatballs on the surface of the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the meatballs are firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Gently stir the meatballs into the tomato mixture. Cover the pot and continue to simmer 45 minutes more. Stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning, adding additional lemon juice if required. Stir in the raisins, and honey. Add the brown sugar, a little at a time, tasting after each addition. Cook mixture over medium heat 15 minutes more.

PETE'S UNSTUFFED SWEET & SOUR CABBAGE

Steps:

• Use Large Stock Pot and wooden spoon Wash cabbage, cut off core. Cut cabbage in half horizontally. Take core out and cut cabbage in 3 inch chunks. Cook sliced onions in oil until translucent. Add can of whole tomatoes, stir and chop slightly with spoon. Add tomato sauce, half of salt, half of pepper and mix. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stir occasionally so it doesn't burn. Then add cabbage and stir and push cabbage down into the sauce. Cover pot and continue to simmer approx 1 hour till you can mix cabbage around in the sauce. In large bowl mix ground beef with chopped onion, 1 1/2 level tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 eggs, rice, and water. Mix well with hands. If too mushy, add a little more rice. Form golf ball size meat balls and then store briefly in refrigerator to get firmer. Place meatballs on top of cabbage on sauce. Cover and simmer approx 15 minutes till meatballs feel firm. Then gently mix meat balls into sauce. Let pot simmer for approx 45 minutes, then add lemon. Taste for lemon taste, if not add more lemon. Then add raisins, honey, and then sugar a little at time to taste. Cook for another 15 minutes, then mix gently, uncover and remove from heat. Try not to eat right away so flavors can infuse. Tastes better when eaten the second day, but don't over heat. Only reheat what you will eat at that sitting. This freezes well.

GRANDMA ELAINE'S UNSTUFFED SWEET & SOUR CABBAGE

Steps:

• Use Large Stock Pot and wooden spoon.
• Wash cabbage, cut off core. Cut cabbage in half horizontally. Take core out and cut.
• cabbage in 3 inch chunks.
• Cook sliced onions in oil until translucent.
• Add can of whole tomatoes, stir and chop slightly with spoon. Add tomato sauce, half of salt, half of pepper, and mix.
• Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.
• Then add cabbage and stir and push cabbage down into the sauce.
• Cover pot and continue to simmer approx 1 hour till you can mix cabbage around in the sauce.
• In large bowl mix ground beef with chopped onion, 1 1/2 level teaspoons salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 eggs, rice, and water. Mix well with hands.
• If too mushy, add a little more rice. Form golf ball size meat balls, and then store briefly in refrigerator to get firmer.
• Place meatballs on top of cabbage on sauce. Cover and simmer approx 15 minutes till meatballs feel firm.
• Then gently mix meat balls into sauce. Let pot simmer for approx 45 minutes, then add lemon. Taste for lemon taste, if not add more lemon.
• Then add raisins, honey, and then sugar a little at time to taste. Cook for another 15 minutes, then mix gently, uncover and remove from heat.
• Try not to eat right away so flavors can infuse. Tastes better when eaten the second day, but don't overheat. Only reheat what you will eat at that sitting.
• This freezes well.

'UNSTUFFED' CABBAGE WITH A KICK

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground turkey in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Transfer cooked turkey to a bowl.
• Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium heat; saute onion in hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic to onion; saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the onion mixture; season with Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer tomato mixture until the tomatoes are softened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir cabbage into the tomato mixture; continue cooking until cabbage is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Stir ground turkey into the mixture; cook to reheat the turkey, 1 to 2 minutes.