Slovak Stuffed Cabbage Recipes

HALUPKIS: STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Remove the center core of each head of cabbage. Place in large pot of boiling water. Boil until soft, removing each leaf as it softens. Let leaves cool, then trim the thick rib on each leaf. Reserve 14.5 ounces of the cabbage cooking water.
• Boil rice in a separate saucepot until half cooked. Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, saute bacon and discard excess fat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until lightly browned. Chop the bacon into small pieces and add back to the pan.
• In a bowl combine beef, pork, partially cooked rice, pepper, salt, eggs, cooked onion-bacon mixture, paprika, and celery salt. Measure the mixture with medium sized ice-cream scoop to make each halupki the same size.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• On each separate cabbage leaf, place 1 scoop of the meat mixture at the bottom of the leaf and roll, tightly tucking the sides to cover the mixture. Line the bottom of a roasting pan (not aluminum) with cabbage leaves that are too dark or to small to use for rolling. Place halupkis in roasting pan, making 2 layers.
• Combine tomato soup, broth, chopped tomatoes, and reserved cooking liquid and pour over halupki. Cover and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add more liquid, if needed.
• They taste best the next day.

SLOVAK STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Mix beef and pork together. Stir in onion, cooked rice, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic salt and 1/2 can of tomato soup. Mix well.
• Core head of cabbage, place in boiling water and boil until partly cooked. Separate leaves and trim stems. Reserve about 24 to 32 whole leaves. Cut remaining leaves and line the bottom of large roasting pan.
• Lightly pack a small handful of the meat mixture and place in the center of a cabbage leaf. Fold top part of leaf over mixture, then fold in the sides and roll until mixture is completely encased. Lay rolls on top of torn cabbage leaves in pan. Place sauerkraut evenly over rolls. Lay bacon on top of sauerkraut. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix chopped tomatoes and soup with water and pour over rolls. Add additional water to reach top of cabbage rolls.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through.

HALUPKI (STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Place the cabbage in a stockpot with enough water to cover.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the water and cabbage.
• Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn cabbage every 2-3 minutes and remove leaves that separate from cabbage and place in a strainer to cool. Boil until all the leaves have cooked, about 15 minutes.
• Reserve 12 oz. of cabbage water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Trim thick center vein off of bottom of each cabbage leaf.
• In a large bowl thoroughly mix together, ground beef, ground pork, rice, chopped onion, fresh parsley, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Lightly pack a small amount of meat mixture and place in the center of the cabbage leaf.
• Fold sides over the filling and start at the stem and roll the cabbage up until the meat is encased. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
• Cut the leftover leaves into pieces and place into the bottom of a roasting pan.
• Layer the stuffed cabbage rolls over the cut leaves.
• In a bowl, mix the tomato sauce, reserved cabbage water, white vinegar, and white sugar.
• Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the cabbage rolls.
• Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until the ground beef mixture is no longer pink in the center, about 2 1/2 hours. Baste stuffed cabbage rolls every hour.

HOLUBKY (SLOVAK STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water, let stand until leaves are limp (2-3 minutes); then drain.
• Fry onions in butter until translucent, then mix with garlic, rice, meat, egg, milk, and seasonings; mix well.
• In a large dutch oven, prepare zapraška (similar to roux) by melting shortening over medium heat.
• Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches desired brownness (usually light brown or beige).
• Add a tablespoon of water and stir until smooth.
• Be very careful when making zapraška as it is very hot and can cause severe burns if it comes in contact with the skin, also avoid the steam that rises when you add the water.
• Add the tomato sauce, water, and sugar.
• Mix well and bring to a boil; allow to boil for several minutes.
• Place 2-3 tablespoons (depending on size of leaf) of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf; tuck in sides and roll to cover meat.
• Place, seam side down in pot with sauce.
• Cook, covered, over low heat for 2-3 hours.

HALUPKI (SLOVAK STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• 1. Remove large outer leaves from cabbage and set aside. Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 16 -18 leaves. When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through. Chop the remaining cabbage, still reserving large outer leaves, and place it in the bottom of a large greased casserole dish or Dutch oven. Rinse rice and cook it in 1/2-cup water until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwile, saute chopped onion in butter in a medium skillet until tender, and let cool. In a large bowl, mix cooled rice, cooled onions, beef, pork, salt and pepper to taste, egg, garlic, paprika, reserved sauerkraut juices and 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce, and blend thoroughly. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough. Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll. Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage with sauerkraut and some tomato sauce in between the layers in the casserole dish or Dutch oven. Top with all the crushed tomatoes, remaining sauerkraut and tomato sauce, and a few of the reserved whole cabbage leaves. Add enough water to cover completely. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer 3 to 4 hours. Watch carefully so stuffed cabbages don't burn. Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, if desired, and mashed potatoes and crusty bread. Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker (see your manufacturer's instructions).

STUFFED CABBAGE THE SLOVAK WAY

Steps:

• 1. Place heads of cabbage in a large stock pot, core side up.Fill with enough water to boil.when it starts to boil cut around core to allow leaves to fall/loosen away from core.Remove core and save.Place cabbage leaves on a big platter.Reserve the cabbage water as well.Cut the thick core off the back of each cabbage leaf.Mix raw hamburger, 3 eggs, uncooked rice, salt and pepper, together.In Large pot may have to use 2 pots. place some shredded cabbage from core on bottom of pan or leaves that you can't use to stuff. Place a small amount of hamb mixture on each leaf, roll and tuck sides in as you roll.Place on top shredded cabbage seam sides down.
• 2. Fill pan 3/4 way with rolled cabbage, fill pan enough to cover cabbage with reserved cabbage water.
• 3. Simmer about an hour. Then put 6 Tbl or to taste of vinegar in with the rolled cabbage. Make a roux with the flour and crisco, cook until it is a medium to dark color brown.Add it to the pan and simmer cabbage another 1/2 to an hour more, or until cabbage is tender and soft.Start with 6 Tbl vinegar and taste as it cooks to see if you want to add more.
• 4. *****FOOTNOTE***** We like to serve it with fresh rye bread. And is even better tasting the next day as leftovers

HOLUBKY (BASIC SLOVAK STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Cook rice for 5 minutes; then drain.
• Remove core from cabbage and place in a large pot of boiling salted water.
• Boil until large outer leaves get slightly limp and separate from head (10 minutes); then remove and de-vein (save 2 cups cabbage water for sauce).
• Mix together meat, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, partially cooked rice, garlic salt, and pepper.
• Place about 4 tablespoons rice mixture (or according to size of leaf) on each cabbage leaf, fold the ends in over the filling and roll up.
• Stack tightly in a large pot or dutch oven.
• Add water saved from boiling cabbage and pour remaining tomato sauce on top.
• Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 hours (check occasionally to make sure the bottoms aren't scorching; turn heat down if they start to).
• Serve hot.

HOLUBKY ( SLOVAK STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Put a large pot of water on to boil.
• When it comes to a boil place cored cabbage in it to soften leaves.
• Grease a large casserole dish and spread the diced tomatoes on the bottom.
• Drain half of the sauerkraut and spread on top of tomatoes. Set aside.
• Mix together beef, pork, rice, egg, worsechester sauce, Italian seasoning and garlic salt.
• Peel off outer layers of cabbage when they are flexible. Cut out hard vein if needed.
• Lay leaves out flat put a 2 tablespoons of meat mixture on the stem side of the leaf.
• fold leaf over the meat and fold in sides of leaf. Then roll up to the end.
• Place that roll in the dish. Repeat until you have fill up all the leaf you can fit in the dish side by side.
• Pour the tomato soup on top of the rolls.
• Put the remaining drained sauerkraut on top of the rolls.
• Pour V-8 Juice over all.
• Cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes in a 350 degree oven.