Slow Cooked Cabbage Rolls (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
4 cups of tomato juice.
02 -
Salt and pepper as needed.
03 -
8 ounces of bacon or similar smoked meat.
04 -
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill.
05 -
1 large onion, diced or grated.
06 -
1/2 cup raw long-grain rice.
07 -
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley.
08 -
2 pounds of sour cabbage leaves.
09 -
2 pounds of ground pork.
# Instructions:
01 -
Put the sour cabbage leaves in a big bowl, then add plenty of cold water. Let them sit for a few minutes to make them less salty. Drain. If leaves are too large and you prefer smaller rolls, cut them down to size.
02 -
Combine the pork, rice, onion, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Blend them thoroughly using your hands. Go light on the salt since the cabbage is salty enough.
03 -
Take a small bit of the meat mixture—around two tablespoons—and place it on a cabbage leaf. Roll it neatly, folding the ends in so nothing falls out. Do this with all the cabbage and meat.
04 -
If you have leftover cabbage, chop it up and put it at the bottom of the crockpot. Lay all the cabbage rolls on top. Want extra flavor? Now’s the time to add the smoked meat on top of the rolls.
05 -
Pour all the tomato juice over the cabbage rolls. Then close the crockpot with a lid.
06 -
Set the crockpot to low heat for eight hours or high heat for four hours. Serve the rolls with mashed potatoes or polenta. A bit of sour cream on top adds a nice touch.
# Notes:
01 -
Switch sour cabbage for fresh if you blanch it or freeze it first.
02 -
Don’t overdo the salt—sour cabbage already has plenty.
03 -
You can replace tomato juice with watered-down tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes.