My in-laws are both from Pittsburgh, both with grandparents that immigrated from Slovakia. They grew up eating halupki, or stuffed cabbage rolls, often weekly. My father-in-law learned this recipe by watching his mother-in-law cook it, with hand gestures instead of measurements and intuition instead of a cook time: "you'll know when it's ready."
This dish may consist of simple ingredients, but it does take time to prepare. Time may be a luxury we don't often have, but the time it takes to make this ultimate comfort food is well worth it. Now, this recipe is one that our family will eat only around the holidays. If we're lucky, Easter consists of baked ham and a large pot of my father-in-law's stuffed cabbage.
- Recipe by Robin Inchek, Harrisonburg
Ingredients
Serves 12*
2 large heads of green cabbage
12 strips bacon
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 cups cooked rice
2 (28 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup mixed with 2 cans of water
2 pounds kielbasa, sliced
2 (16 ounce) cans sauerkraut
Salt and pepper to taste (about 3 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper)
INSTRUCTIONS
- With a sharp knife, remove the cores of the cabbages and boil the heads of cabbages until the leaves are tender and start to come away from the heads.**
- Save the first few leaves that have imperfections to place at the bottom of the pan so the cabbage rolls do not burn. For the leaves that will become rolls, gently shave down the part of the leaf that is attached to the core so that it’s flush with the rest of the leaf. This will make them easier to roll. Set leaves aside.
- In a pan over medium heat, fry bacon until par-cooked. Then finely dice with knife or in food processor. Reserve pan with bacon drippings.
- In the pan with bacon drippings, sauté onions and garlic over medium heat until soft.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix ground meats, cooked rice, salt, pepper, sautéed onion/garlic and bacon. Be careful not to overmix.
- Spoon mixture into cabbage leaves. There should be just enough to leave half an inch on the side and 2-3 inches at the top to roll. Fold sides in first, then roll bottom to top, like a burrito. Continue until desired number of rolls have been made.
- Form leftover meat mixture into balls and set aside.
- Place the reserved cabbage leaves in the bottom of a large stock pot.
- Alternate layers of cabbage rolls, then sauerkraut, kielbasa, and meatballs if you had leftovers, then enough tomato soup/water to cover. Repeat layers, stacking next layer of cabbage rolls on top in a different arrangement to allow for even cooking.
- Over medium heat, bring pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 3 hours. Cut into a cabbage roll or meatball to ensure it is cooked through.
*This recipe can also be halved, to feed 4-6.
**Alternatively, the day before cooking, place cabbages in freezer to make the leaves tender. Before cooking, thaw the cabbages. Once thawed, cut the cores out. The leaves should peel away easily.
