Halupki (Stuffed Cabbage)

1. Place cabbage in a stockpot; pour over enough water to cover. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn cabbage every 2 to 3 minutes; transfer any leaves that separate from cabbage into a strainer to drain and cool. Continue to boil until all the leaves have cooked, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of cabbage cooking water. Cut out the tough, thick center ribs of any large cabbage leaves with a sharp knife.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Mix ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, eggs, onion, fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Lay 1 cabbage leaf on a flat surface; place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling at the base of a cabbage leaf. Overlap with the bottom of the leaf; fold in side edges and roll up.

4. Repeat with remaining large cabbage leaves and filling.

5. Cut any leftover cabbage leaves into pieces and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Layer stuffed cabbage rolls on top.

6. Combine tomato sauce, reserved cabbage water, white vinegar, and white sugar in a bowl; pour mixture over cabbage rolls. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil.

7. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 2 1/2 hours. Baste stuffed cabbage rolls every hour.

Tips

I use Uncle Ben's Ready Rice, which is done in 90 seconds in the microwave, to cut down on prep time. Leftovers freeze well — if you have any!

Editor's Note:

To make the 1 1/2 cups cooked rice needed in this recipe; Bring 1/2 cup long grain white rice and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Or make a larger batch and use leftovers for fried rice or rice pudding.