Halupki

Now that the weather has gotten cooler, it seems to be time to have more hearty and comforting meals.  One of our favorites is halupki.  Halupki or stuffed cabbage rolls originated in the Ottoman Empire and later spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The name comes from the Slovak and Czech words for the dish.

This filling meal is very tasty, but it is not all that quick or easy to make.  In the traditional recipe, you will need to take a whole cabbage, stuff the leaves with meat and rice, and let it cook for quite a while.  Happily, I found a newer variation that is a lot faster.  It isn’t your grandmother’s stuffed cabbage, but it is quite good all the same.

Halupki (old style)
1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground pork                              
egg                                                                       
½ c. cold, cooked rice 
1 large cabbage
1 can tomato paste
1-2 cups sauerkraut

Cut the core out of the cabbage and place the whole head in boiling water to parboil for about 15 minutes.  Cabbage leaves should be flexible but not too soft to stuff with the meat filling.  Drain the cabbage and let set until the leaves are cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, put beef, pork, egg, rice, and salt and pepper (as much seasoning as you think best) in a large bowl and mix them all together.  When the cabbage leaves are cool, lay one out on your cutting board and remove a small portion of the thick core end of the leaf.  Place a well-rounded tablespoon of meat mixture in the center of the cabbage leaf and roll it up from the bottom, tucking in the ends firmly to hold it together.  Repeat.  Use up all the meat this way and as much of the cabbage as you need. 

When the cabbage rolls are completed, place them in a deep pot or roaster.  Spread the top with sauerkraut and then with tomato sauce.  Almost cover the rolls with water, bring to a boil, and let simmer for at least 2 hours.

Faux Halupki
Grated cabbage
Lentils or ground meat
Cooked rice
Tomato sauce and sauerkraut

Grate enough cabbage to make 2 layers in a casserole dish.  Since the size of your dish will vary, so will the amount of cabbage.  I usually use half a head of cabbage for this.  Put the first layer of cabbage in the dish, then prepare the filling.

We would rather use cooked lentils instead ground meat, but you can use meat instead.  In a skillet, cook up the lentils (or meat) and cooked rice.  Pour part of this over the grated cabbage and put the rest of the cabbage on top.  Spread the tomato sauce over the top of the whole thing and pour in enough water or broth to moisten the cabbage.  Cover with aluminum foil, put in a 375-degree oven, and cook about an hour and 15 minutes.  Serve with sauerkraut.  The tastes are similar, but the effort is less.