Iconic of harvest time, apples and their constituents have been shown to improve heart health, protect against atherosclerosis, asthma, and Alzheimer’s disease among other ailments.
This recipe for Stuffed Cabbage combines the sweetness of apple and savory meats and seasonings in a surprising and delicious way. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She began sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has since become a company tradition.
“People remember the different variations of stuffed cabbage based on their mothers and grandmothers. It’s not just about food. Eating something as traditional as this is a cultural experience, one that is spiritual and nostalgic. It manages to transcend time; it’s food for the soul.”
–Gil Marks
Stuffed Cabbage
Everyday Dorie, The Way I Cook, Dorie Greenspan (2018)
Ingredients
- For the cabbage bundles
- 1 large head green cabbage (either standard green or Savoy cabbage can be used. Savoy cabbage [originally from Italy] has deep green, crinkly leaves that are more pliable and stand up to longer cooking times)
- 1½ pounds ground chuck
- ½ pound sausage meat (sweet or hot sausage, or a combination of the two. An equal amount of ground chuck can be substituted if desired)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped, then rinsed and patted dry (according to Epicurious, rinsing cut onions or shallots in a sieve under cold running water [while stirring] for about 60 seconds makes them taste sweeter and less sharp)
- 2 shallots, finely chopped, then rinsed and patted dry
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup long-grain rice (long-grain rice is 3–5× longer than its width; examples are Carolina Gold, basmati and jasmine)
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- For the sauce and additions
- 2 cans (28 ounce) whole tomatoes with the juice
- ⅓ cup unsweetened apple juice
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 6 crushed gingersnap cookies (optional) (included in several online recipes. It is a traditional ingredient in the gravy for sauerbraten, a marinated meat roast)
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 onion, sliced, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 apple, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 onion, sliced, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1 apple, finely grated
Instructions
- To make the cabbage rolls
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, pull off and discard any tough outer leaves from the cabbage. Turn the cabbage upside down, and working carefully with a heavy knife, cut out the core. I usually have to do this in increments—cutting out a divot and then going back in to cut away more. Pull off the outer 18 or so leaves (the largest on the head). Drop a couple of leaves at a time into the boiling water and leave them there for a minute or two, just until they’re softened. Shake off the excess water as you remove the leaves from the pot and then pat them dry.
- Working with one leaf at a time, spread it out on a cutting board, with the outer part—the side where the thick center rib sticks up—facing up. Using a paring knife or a strong vegetable peeler, cut or shave down the thick rib so that it’s (kind of) even with the leaf and, most important, flexible—don’t worry about being precise. Set the trimmed leaves aside; they’re the ones you’ll stuff. Thinly slice the remaining cabbage—think thick-cut coleslaw—and set aside for the sauce.
- Put the ground chuck and sausage in a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and mix together as though you were making meatballs—be thorough, but try not to knead or work the stuffing too much.
- To construct the bundles, lay a cabbage leaf inner (cup) side up on a work surface. Shape about ¼ cup of the stuffing into a little log. Place the log horizontally across the cabbage, keeping it within the bottom third of the leaf, and lift the bottom of the leaf up and against the meat—or over it if you have enough leaf. Fold the 2 sides over the log and then start rolling the log up in the leaf until you get to the top. (Imagine that you’re making a burrito and the cabbage leaf is the tortilla.) Make the roll as compact as you can and secure the seam with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining leaves and stuffing.
- To make the sauce and cook the bundles
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°F.
- Open the cans of tomatoes, and using kitchen scissors and working in the cans, snip the tomatoes into small pieces (alternatively, you can break them up with your hands). Pour the tomatoes and juice into a large bowl and stir in the apple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and cayenne. In another bowl, toss together the sliced onion, grated apple, and reserved sliced cabbage.
- Pour ⅓ of the sauce into a large Dutch oven or a large ovenproof sauté pan with a lid. Cover with half of the apple mixture and top with half of the cabbage bundles. Repeat with half of the remaining apple mixture and the rest of the cabbage bundles. Finish with a layer of the remaining sauce and apple mixture. Cover with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit snugly inside the pot and against the ingredients (or seal the top of the pot with aluminum foil). Cover with the lid and slide the pot into the oven.
- Let the stuffed cabbage cook undisturbed for 3 hours. Taste the sauce, which will be thin, and add more sugar, vinegar, salt, or cayenne if you think it needs it. Then test a cabbage bundle to make certain that the rice is tender. If it isn’t, return the pot to the oven until it is.
- The stuffed cabbage can be served immediately or cooled, refrigerated, and reheated when you’re ready.
Notes
Make this a day ahead if you can. An overnight in the fridge gives you the chance to easily spoon off and discard any fat, and it gives all the flavors a chance to deepen.
You can keep leftover cabbage bundles and sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The stuffed cabbage can be frozen for up to 2 months packed in an airtight container. If frozen, gently thaw before reheating in a covered pot.
Ms. Greenspan was a columnist for The New York Times Magazine and has written 14 cookbooks. She has also won 5 James Beard Awards—1 for journalism; 3 for cookbooks (Baking with Julia [1996], Baking From My Home to Yours [2006], Dorie’s Cookies [2016]); and 1 for being voted into the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America—as well as 2 Cookbook of the Year Awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (Desserts by Pierre Hermé [1998] and Around My French Table [2010]).