Entree: Lithuania – Southern Culinary Region – Balandėliai (Cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned meat and rice, baked in a tomato sauce)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 30 min

Cook 1 hr

Total 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

- 1 large head green cabbage, about 3 lb (1.4 kg)
- 1 lb (454 g) ground pork
- 1/2 lb (227 g) ground beef
- 3/4 cup (150 g) long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 large onion, finely chopped, about 6 oz (170 g)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, about 6 g
- 1/4 cup (15 g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) ground allspice
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
- 28 oz (796 g) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 1 tsp (4 g) sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- Sour cream for serving as desired

Instructions

1. Prepare cabbage leaves: core the cabbage and place whole head in a large pot of boiling salted water; blanch 5–8 minutes until outer leaves are pliable. Remove leaves as they soften and set aside to cool. Save remaining cabbage for shredding or another use.
2. Cook rice: bring 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water to a boil, add rice, reduce heat and simmer 12–15 minutes until just tender. Drain and cool slightly.
3. Make filling: in a skillet, melt butter with 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl and combine with ground pork, ground beef, cooked rice, beaten egg, parsley, 1 tsp (5 g) salt, 1/2 tsp (1 g) pepper, and allspice. Mix until well combined.
4. Assemble rolls: remove thick central vein from each cabbage leaf or trim to allow rolling. Place about 2–3 tbsp (30–45 g) of filling near the base of a leaf, fold sides over and roll tightly. Repeat to make roughly 10–12 rolls depending on leaf size.
5. Prepare sauce: in a bowl whisk together crushed tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, sugar, 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) salt, and a pinch of pepper.
6. Layer and cook: preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a deep ovenproof dish or Dutch oven, pour a thin layer of sauce to cover the bottom. Arrange cabbage rolls seam-side down in a single layer (stack if needed). Pour remaining sauce over rolls and tuck bay leaves between rolls.
7. Bake or simmer: cover and bake 1 hour, or simmer gently on the stovetop over low heat for 1–1 1/4 hours until meat is cooked through and flavors meld. If sauce reduces too much, add a splash of stock or water.
8. Finish and serve: remove bay leaves, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and boiled or mashed potatoes if desired.