Romanian Stuffed Cabbage (Sarmale)
A hearty Romanian stuffed cabbage (sarmale) dish features pork, sauerkraut, and tomatoes, slow-cooked in a lidded casserole.
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Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large pot, boil salted water. Core cabbage, then cook the whole head in boiling water for 3 minutes until leaves soften. Drain, cool, and remove about 20 leaves; trim their thick stems. Chop any remaining cabbage and set aside.
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In a skillet, sauté chopped onion, garlic, and rice with 1 tablespoon oil until the onion is translucent. Add 4 tablespoons hot water, boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Cover, let stand 5 minutes until water is absorbed, then cool.
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In a large bowl, combine pork, water-squeezed bread, the cooled onion-garlic-rice mixture, dill, thyme, salt, black pepper, optional red pepper, and 2 tablespoons hot water; mix lightly.
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For the cooking liquid, mix 3 cups water with sauerkraut juice, Vegeta, peppercorns, and bay leaves; set aside.
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Fill each cabbage leaf with about 1/2 cup of meat mixture. Fold the right and left sides over the meat, then roll away from you to form a tight roll. Repeat for all rolls.
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Coat a large lidded Dutch oven or casserole dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread a mixture of reserved chopped cabbage and sauerkraut at the bottom.
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Layer 3 bacon strips over the sauerkraut, then add a layer of stuffed cabbages. Repeat layers, topping with any remaining sauerkraut.
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Spread dill sprigs and sprinkle 3 tablespoons olive oil over the top. Pour the prepared cooking liquid over everything.
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Place the Dutch oven on high heat on the stovetop, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 1.5 hours. Add sliced tomatoes, cover, and cook for another 45 minutes.
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Remove the lid and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Let cool briefly, remove bay leaves, and serve.