Stuffed Cabbage Rolls With Ground Beef and Rice

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F/180 C/Gas 4.
2. 2Peel about 12 to 15 large leaves off of 1 head green cabbage head .
3. 3Drop the cabbage leaves into a large pot of well-salted boiling water; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well.
4. 4For the filling, combine 1 pound ground beef , 3/4 cup cooked rice , 1/2 cup finely chopped onion , 1 large egg , 1/4 cup milk , 1 1/2 teaspoons salt , and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well and divide into 12 portions.
5. 5Place a portion of the beef mixture (about 2 1/4-ounces) onto the center of each cabbage leaf.
6. 6Roll the leaf around the filling, burrito-style, folding in the edges to seal it in.
7. 7Fasten the rolls with toothpicks. Place the rolls in a single layer in a large baking dish or an oven-safe Dutch oven.
8. 8For the sauce, combine 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained) , 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce , 3 tablespoons sugar , 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar , and 1/2 cup of water .
9. 9Pour sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil (carefully avoiding the toothpicks) and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the cabbage is tender and the sauce is bubbling.
10. 10Remove the rolls with a slotted spoon and discard the toothpicks.
11. 11Carefully pour the juices from the baking pan into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir 2 tablespoons cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water until dissolved. Add about half the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly. Continue adding the remaining cornstarch slurry a little bit at a time until the sauce is as thickened as you like.
12. 12Serve the cabbage rolls topped with the sauce. Enjoy.