Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

For our Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, canned tomato sauce had a smooth texture tasters liked and was thin enough to properly coat the rolls without becoming pasty. Sautéed onions and garlic provided a savory foundation, and ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg added the requisite warm spice flavor to the sauce. Tasters preferred brown sugar to white for its more complex flavor, and red wine vinegar to white for its bite.

We supplemented the beef filling with bratwurst, a mild German sausage, to boost the meaty flavor. A panade (paste) of milk and bread helped keep the filling soft and moist.

If the tops of the cabbage rolls appear dry after the foil is removed in step 4, spoon some of the sauce over them before returning to the oven.

1 medium head green cabbage, cored  
1 tablespoon vegetable oil  
1 onion, finely chopped  
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger  
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon  
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg  
1 (28-oz) can tomato sauce  
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar  
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces  
1/2 cup milk  
3/4 pound 85% lean ground beef  
3/4 pound bratwurst, uncooked, casings removed

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place cabbage in large bowl, wrap tightly with plastic, and microwave until outer leaves of cabbage are pliable and translucent, 3 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, carefully remove wilted outer leaves; set aside. Replace plastic and repeat until you have 15 to 17 large, intact leaves.

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of onion mixture to small bowl and reserve. Off heat, stir tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper into pot with remaining onion mixture until sugar dissolves.

3. Pulse bread and milk in food processor to smooth paste. Add reserved onion mixture, beef, bratwurst, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse until well combined, about ten 1-second pulses.

4. Trim tough ribs from cabbage leaves, roll 2 heaping tablespoons of meat mixture into each leaf, and arrange rolls, seam-side down, in 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over cabbage rolls, cover with foil, and bake until sauce is bubbling and rolls are heated through, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened and cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve.