Polish Stuffed Cabbage

I made happy meals for my family a few days ago.  Galumpki aka Polish Stuffed cabbage. These make everyone very happy.

 I was lucky enough to find someone selling sour heads.  These are the secret to perfect galumpki. Hold your nose, these only smell good to Polish cooks.

 Make your filling, mix well and set aside.  The recipe for my filling:

1# ground pork
1# ground beef
1 C. fresh bread crumbs
1/4 C. minced parsley
2 eggs
2 T. tomato paste
1 minced onion
6 minced garlic cloves
1 C. raw rice
S&P to taste

Mix this thoroughly.

* Before adding the rice, cook a small piece to taste test it. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.  You can add some garlic powder for a more garlicky flavor is you like.

Sauer heads are whole cabbages that have been cured in brine just like sauerkraut.  They have been scored on the bottom to let the brine seep into the entire head.

Cut the core out and carefully pull the leaves back to keep them from ripping.

I cut the big leaves in half.

Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture in the cabbage.

Roll it towards the end.

Tuck the edges in so the meat doesn't come out as it bakes.

Beautiful Polish hand grenades.

Chop any leftover cabbage and place it on the bottom of your pan.  This stuff is so tasty that you don't want to waste any. Plus, it keeps the rolls from sticking.

Cut about 6 pieces of thin bacon into small pieces and sprinkle them over the rolls.  The darker green ones are regular cabbage that I used when I ran out of the sauer head. I was too lazy to even blanch them.  I ordered 2 sauer heads but when I got home there was only one in the bag.  I was bummed.

Layer any extra rolls on top of the bottom layer.

Pour tomato juice over the rolls to almost cover them.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours.  I like my cabbage to still have a bit of a bite to it.  You can cook it longer depending on how soft you want it.

I add a bit of beef bouillon to the tomato juice before I pour it over the rolls to give these more flavor.

This is one of those recipes that is best made in advance so the flavors develop.  I served them the following day with creamy mashed potatoes.