Halupki

(Stuffed Cabbage)

Serves 5-6, or you can have leftovers. Freezes well.
Prep time: approx. 45 min. Cook time: 2 hrs for completed dish; 2 more hours if you pre-cook the cabbage as recommended.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef[1]
• 2 cups brown rice
• ~1/2 cup chopped onion
• salt to taste (we use ~ 1.5 tsp.)
• pepper to taste
• about 2 quarts water
• a 6 oz. can of tomato paste
• a 3-3.5 pound red cabbage[2]

Preparing cabbage

Carefully remove the leaves from the cabbage, and cut off the thick central vein of each leaf. Remove leaves until the head of cabbage is about 4-5 inches in diameter. It is easier to remove the cabbage leaves if the cabbage is cooked. One method of cooking is to place it in a crockpot on “high” for 1.5-2 hours.

Making halupki

Mix the first five ingredients together in a large bowl. Take some of this mixture and put it in a cabbage leaf, then fold the leaf around it. Place in a large pot. Continue making halupki until all of the meat mixture is gone. Cut up any extra cabbage and place in the pot on top of the halupki.

Mix the tomato paste and water together[3] and pour over halupki. The liquid should cover the halupki; if not, add more water. Bring to a boil, turn heat down, and let simmer for two hours.

Enjoy! If you like, you can top with sour cream when serving.

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Notes:

1. The higher the fat content of the beef, the better this recipe will taste.

2. Red cabbage leaves are strong and easy to remove. Green cabbage leaves are also easy to remove, but slightly more flimsy. Purple cabbage leaves intertwine like the pieces of a “wooden knot” puzzle, and are almost as hard to untangle. A purple cabbage viewed from the side is typically egg-shaped. A red cabbage has a flattish top, similar to a green cabbage. A color difference is usually only noticeable after the cabbage is cooked.
If in doubt, just buy green cabbage. Store labels are not trustworthy!

3. You can mix the tomato paste and water in a separate pot and heat before adding the liquid to the halupki—this will help the pot of halupki boil sooner.