Sarmale - Romanian sour cabbage rolls

                           Sarmale
                Romanian sour Cabbage rolls

Sarmale, or Sarma, or Krautwickel, are a dish you can find everywhere in Europe. There are
some differences in between the Krautwickel (german version) and the Romanian Sarmale.
For example, for Krautwickel you don't "sour" your cabbage. In Romania, in fall, they "pickle" the whole Cabbage heads to make them last longer. That is giving them the typical sour taste. Also, german Krautwickel don't have rice in the filling and are pan fried first and then cooked in a dark gravy. Sarmale aren't pan fried and are cooking in a Tomato sauce, usually with some smoked meat. If you can't find smoked meat, you can use bacon too. But I prefer more like smoked pork hocks or other cuts.
Since this is a popular and traditional dish, I am sure, every family has it a bit different. And, of course, you will have to work with what you can get. Unfortunately I do not have pickled Cabbage heads or can purchase them somewhere. So I do a lil trick to kind off sour them a bit. Not the same, but getting close.
This dish is traditionally eaten at christmas, new years and eastern. But you can eat it in between as well. It is also great to freeze for later use.


What you need: 

- 1 head of green cabbage

- 1 lbs of mixed ground meat (pork, beef)

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1/2 cup (100ml) oil for sauteing

- Thyme dry

- Dill and Thyme stacks

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 TBSP black pepper corns

- handful 5 min rice

- 2-3 TBSP Tomato Paste

- smoked meat, Bacon for example. Cut in pieces (use the thick cut)

- Sauerkraut (or rest of cooked cabbage)

- Tomato sauce 1 liter or 4 cups

- 1 small can V8 Vegetable juice (yes, thats a little twist right here with "american" products)

- Salt and pepper



This is how you do it:

Boil in a big pot water with salt and Vinegar. Put the cabbage head in it and wait till the first leave is peeling off basically by itself. Once it is peeled off and soft, remove it to a dish. Continue until most leaves of the head are off. 

While the cabbage is cooling off, prepare the meat. Saute the onions until their soft, add the garlic to it. Remove from heat. In a big bowl add the ground pork and beef, Rice, cooled sauteed onions, salt, pepper and Dill. Mix well.

Remove the hard stem from the cabbage leaves but make sure not to cut through the whole leave. Depending on the size of your preferred rolls, half the leaves or cut in thirds.

The rest of the cabbage, chop finely into thin sauerkraut like slices.

In a Casserole dish or dutch oven, prepare with a layer of Thyme and Dill stacks (when you don't have, just use some dry version) and some of the cut sauerkraut (or Sauerkraut from a can). On top of this layer start laying out the cabbage rolls. When you have finished one layer, add more Thyme and Dill stacks, cut bacon and more chopped cabbage, 1 Bay leave and the half of the pepper corns. You may add here the rest of the oil you have left after sauteing the onions. This step is not necessary but gives a great flavor.

Add as many layers as you need to finish the meat mixture, continuing that "pattern". Don't forget to put in the "middle layer" the second Bay leave and the rest of the Pepper corns.  If you use a big Casserole, it might be just 2 layers. I had a dutch oven, so I had several layers.

Once you are done, finish that layering with chopped Cabbage and smoked meat or Bacon.. Now add 1 liter Tomato sauce and 1 small can of V8. It should cover the cabbage rolls. If not, add a bit water. 

Cover with aluminium foil or the lid of the dutch oven and place it in a 400 degrees oven for around 2 hrs.. After the 2 hrs, remove the lid or foil and leave in another 30-35 min..

This dish is traditionally served with sour cream, the smoked meat it was cooked in, the chopped Cabbage and some "Mamaliga" (Polenta) 

Pofta mare 

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