Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Galumpkis Recipe

Directions:

1. Core and boil the cabbage first. You are boiling for about 5 minutes - just to make the cabbage leaves pliable.
2. While the cabbage is boiling, prepare the tomato sauce.
3. Saute the garlic and pesto in a skillet for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occaisionally for about 5 minutes
5. Add the vinegar and sugar and simmer until the sauce thickens (this is a good place to taste the sauce - we like ours a little tart)
6. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
7. By now your cabbage should be done.
8. Take the cabbage out of the water, run under cold water, and gently start taking the leaves off of the head. (if you overboiled your cabbage this will result in the leaves shredding.)
9. Lay out the leaves flat (like sheets of paper)
10. Cut out the vein from the backside of the leaf (this will make it really pliable)
11. The bigger leves will be used for the bottom of your pot and the top of your pot, so put those really big leaves aside.
12. Make the filling:
13. Saute the onion and garlic until the onion is soft (if you can carmelize them a little this adds extra flavor to the filling)
14. Stir in the parsely and a little of the tomato sauce (about 1/4 cup)
15. Combine this mix with your meat in a large bowl.
16. Add the egg and cooked rice.
17. Mix well with your hands, seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.
18. Take the mix in small palm sized chunks and place one chunk in the middle of a cabbage leaf. Roll the end up so it curls around the maet and then tuck in each side, covering the meat, and then roll the cabbage leaf up completely. (You should not see any meat)
19. Continue rolling until all of your meat mix is gone.
20. Dividing the big leaves in half, place the big leaves in the bottom of your pan.
21. I was taught to use a big stock pot or dutch oven on top of the stove for cooking, but I have used a crockpot, or baked them before.
22. Place the cabbage rolls on top of the big leaves
23. Pour the sauce over the rolls and add water if needed to cover the rolls completely.
24. Place the other big leaves on top of the rolls, tucking them in.
25. Cook for about 3-4 hours on low heat.