Hungarian Cabbage Rolls recipe
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Hungarian Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls made the original way. Instructions from a Hungarian friend in Budapest as I watched her make them, and translated into English by my wife just for you.

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Servings: 6 Servings
Total Time (median): 5 : 00 Active Time: 1 : 00

US/Metric: [convert to metric]

Ingredients

***For the Stuffing***

  • 2 1/4 pounds pork, ground quite fatty
  • 1 teaspoon salt (as required)
  • 1/2 cup bacon, smoked, diced OR fatty smoked ham, chopped fine
  • 1 egg raw
  • 1/2 cup rice crushed
  • 1 teaspoon pepper, black
  • 1 large cabbage OR sour prepared leaves
  • 1 tablespoon paprika powder, sweet
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika powder, hot
  • 3 1/3 pounds sauerkraut
  • 1/2 cup onion minced/grated OR sub. 2 whole bulbs garlic
  • 4 bay leaves whole
  • 1 handfull peppercorns, black, whole (optional)
  • water to cover (see instructions!)
  • 3 paprika peppers (or more, as required)

***For the Sauce***


Preparation

Combine all stuffing ingredients (flesh, spices, rice) except cabbage. Mix well by hand. Add the optional egg if dry or if desired. Can be tasted to check for sharpness of paprika flavour. (If using fresh cabbage, add 1 teaspoon salt to stuffing mix).

Either buy sauerkrauted cabbage leaves packed individially in packages or remove core from large cabbage, add some salt and lots of water to a large pot and boil the cabbage until the leaves are tender. Strip cooked leaves from cabbage. They should be soft and flexible. If the stem is still tough, it can be cut out.

Place portions (around 1/2 cup) in individual cabbage leaves and roll, tucking in the sides as you go.

Do not rinse sauerkraut. Line bottom of large pot (at least 3 gallon size) with bacon. Place on stove for a few minutes until fat is removed from the flesh. Remove from heat. (this is an optional step) Add one-half the sauerkraut, and all the onion/garlic. Place stuffed rolls in pan stacking them around and on top of each other until all used. Add the rest of the sauerkraut on top of stacked rolls. Add enough water to cover rolls. This can be plain water, or water that a smoked ham or other smoked meat has been cooked in. (best!)

Sprinkle on the top the peppercorns, whole peppers and bay leaves. Cover and put on low heat for at least 3 to 4 hours cooking. Do not stir. Watch carefully so it does not cook too fast.

When the rolls are tender, remove the large whole paprikas and bay leaves. (peppercorns can remain) Remove the rolls from the kraut and set aside.

In the pan where you melted the pig/goose fat, add flour and cook stirring constantly until mixture has turned a light brown colour. When colour is OK, add paprika powder and then add this mixture to the kraut mixture in the empty pot. Stir thoroughly and then re-add the kraut rolls. This mixture can now be eaten or frozen in portions. When serving, serve with sour cream dobbed over the hot cabbage rolls. Serve with potatoes or bread.


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Hungarian Cabbage Rolls Reviews

100% would make "Hungarian Cabbage Rolls" again.

[add your review]

This is the closest thing to the dish I had in Budapest. Great recipe! Try to get the authentic Hungarian paprika. I didn't have the goose fat and I used salted pork instead of bacon and it still turned out great. I think next time I will try to add some caraway seeds to the liquid mixture when cooking the cabbage rolls for a little extra flavour.

ktottawaktottawa :  :  6w 6d ago


This authentic Hungarian version of cabbage rolls turned out wonderfully. They were absolutely delicious and made for a nice change of pace from our regular Polish version. For the best flavor we used our homemade ham stock in place of the water...and you should definitely make the effort to find and use goose fat. Thanks for sharing!

sgrishkasgrishka :  :  51w ago


Cabbage rolls do not contain tomato. The red color is from Hungarian paprika (pepper) powder which varies from an orange to a deep red depending on how sharp (strong) it is. Lots of the sweet powder will add the colour without adding tomatoes. If it is available in your area, look for the "Kotanyi" brand straight from Hungary.

[I posted this recipe.]

qwertzqwertz : : 5:00 total time : 1:00 active time :  2y 16w 4d ago


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