Cabbage Rolls (Lithuanian Balandeliai)

Lithuanian cabbage rolls are called balandeliai there. Of course cabbage rolls are made in numerous countries throughout the world, especially throughout Eastern Europe, and Lithuania is no exception. Each country has their own name for it and of course the ingredients vary slightly but usually not by much. They are made with some type of ground meat beef, pork, veal or lamb or a combination and have rice with onions and bell pepper. The meat mixture is then rolled into cabbage leaves and either simmered on the stove in a tomato based sauce or cooked in the oven. These were made with a light tomato and sour cream sauce that made them delicious!

1 whole head cabbage
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
½ cup bell pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup cooked rice
1½ lbs ground beef, lamb or pork (or a combination)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large beaten egg
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup beef or chicken stock
3 Tbsp. sour cream

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 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 and place it in the bottom of a Dutch oven or large saucepan along with the copped carrot.

Sauté chopped onion, and bell pepper in butter in a large skillet until tender, and let cool.

In a large bowl, mix cooked rice, cooled onion mixture, meat, garlic, egg, and salt and pepper until well combined.

Place about ½ 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 in the Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Combine tomato sauce with beef or chicken stock and pour over rolls. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer on the stove top for 1 hour.

Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.

Cabbage rolls freeze well, and can also be made in a slow cooker

Makes 18 rolls.