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A bowl of hearty Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls, topped with fresh dill and sour cream.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

This Deconstructed Cabbage Bake is the perfect easy and quick alternative to labor intensive cabbage rolls; without sacrificing the taste!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Eastern European, Hungarian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef or pork, lamb, combo of either
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or 2 tbsp of bacon fat if you have it
  • 1 ½ cup onion diced
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp sweet paprika Hungarian is best
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ¾ cup uncooked rice I use Uncle Bens Parboiled Brown Rice; see notes
  • kosher salt for cooking and salting the cabbage
  • 1 head of cabbage medium size
  • ½ cup boiling water
  • 1 cup beef stock hot
  • fresh dill for serving
  • sour cream or Greek yogurt; for serving

Equipment

  • 1 chefs knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 large frying pan/skillet
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups
  • 1 large pot to cook down the cabbage
  • 1 9x13 baking dish
  • tinfoil

Method
 

  1. Add oil to a warmed large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon; cook until it’s nicely browned and there’s no moisture. The liquid has to evaporate in order for the meat to begin to brown.
  2. Add the onions, garlic, tomato paste, sweet paprika, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tsp of salt; stir until incorporated. Add rice (see note), stir until rice grains are combined with the savory beef mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400℉ and set a rack to the middle position.
  4. Cut the cabbage in half, through the core. Remove the core from each half with a paring knife. Cut each halve into lengthwise strips (about 2" wide) and then cut across (same size). It's important not to cut the pieces of cabbage too small. Add a little bit of salt on top and massage it with clean hands for about a minute to draw out the moisture and to soften it.
  5. Add the cabbage and ½ cup of hot water to a large pot over medium-high heat. Let the cabbage reduce, stirring periodically, until the cabbage has reduced by a third.
  6. Add the meat + rice mixture to the pot with the reduced cabbage. Taste, season with additional salt if needed. Give it a good stir to combine.
  7. Transfer the contents of the pot into a 9x13 baking dish. Pour 1 cup of hot beef stock overtop. Cover with foil and bake at 400℉ for 35 min. Remove foil and let it bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Garnish with fresh dill (really makes all of the flavors pop) and serve with sour cream of greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Notes

What rice should I use?
I always use Bens Original (formerly Uncle Ben's) Whole Grain Brown Rice. This rice is parboiled, meaning the rice has already been partially cooked in the husk. I love the way cooked parboiled brown rice is firm and less sticky than regular white rice, especially for this dish. It's a rice I keep in my pantry at all times. It's simply the best.
Be aware you can't sub other brown rices in this recipe because they require more time and liquid ratio to cook. Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Rice is the only brown rice I recommend for this dish.
Alternatively, you can use a variety of white rices, like Jasmine or long grain Basmati.