Romanian Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale)

Romanian Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale)

Sarmale are the cabbage rolls of Romania, made with a filling of ground pork, smoked pork, rice and spices wrapped in sauerkraut and slow cooked until tender and golden.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Eastern European, Romanian

Keyword Cabbage, Ground Meat, Rice

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 5

Total Time 8

Servings cabbage rolls

Calories 76kcal

Ingredients

cabbage rolls

2 kg whole pickled cabbage
1 kg ground pork
200 grams bacon cut into thin strips
200 grams smoked pork rib optional, half diced finely and added to filling and half sliced thinly and layered between rolls
1.5 cups yellow onion finely diced
1 cup short grain white rice uncooked
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried summer savory
2 teaspoons paprika smoked or sweet
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil sunflower, canola or other neutral oil

tomato sauce

1.5 cups tomato puree
0.5 cups water
0.25 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried savory
0.5 teaspoons salt
0.5 teaspoons black pepper
0.5 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

make the filling

Finely dice the onion, cut the bacon into thin strips, and finely dice the smoked pork (if using).
Sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until translucent and aromatic.
Add the tomato paste, savory, paprika, salt and black pepper. Sauté a minute or so until aromatic.
Add the bacon and smoked pork and sauté until it the fat begins to render and the bacon turns darker. It doesn't have to get crispy, just enough to render out some of the fat.
Add the rice, sauté a few minutes to toast the rice a bit.
Add 2 cups water, continue cooking while stirring frequently until the water fully absorbs then turn off heat.
Allow the filling to fully cool before adding the ground pork.

prepare the cabbage leaves

Remove all the cabbage leaves from the head of sauerkraut and place in a large bowl.
Use a sharp knife to cut each of the leaves into as many sheets as they can make (see recipe post for details). Set the sheets aside in a large bowl until ready to stuff. Put the discard pieces and stems into another small bowl.

assemble the cabbage rolls

Finely shred some of the discard pieces, enough so you can cover the bottom of the pot and the tops of the rolls.
Lay out a few sheets of cabbage on a cutting board or plate.
Use a spoon to dose out an even amount of filling on the part of the sheet closest to you.
Roll the sheet over the filling and away from you until you make a little carpet-like roll. Use your finger to push the loose ends into the roll.
Arrange the rolls in your pot. Continue rolling until the pot is full. If you end up with a few extra rolls, you can cook them separately in another smaller pot.

cook the cabbage rolls

Preheat oven to 165 C / 330 F.
Whisk together the ingredients for the tomato sauce and pour it evenly over the rolls.
Cover the pot either with a lid or a few layers of tight aluminum foil. You may want to place a parchment lined sheet pan underneath the pot so it catches any liquid that bubbles over (much easier to clean up this way).
Cook for at least 5-6 hours.
Check on the cabbage rolls at the halfway point to make sure they aren't burning (there shouldn't be any char). Reduce heat to 150 C / 300 F if necessary.
Cook until the cabbage rolls are golden and the sauerkraut is thin and fork tender.

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