Unstuffed Cabbage
I love the taste of cabbage and ground beef together in a sweet and sour tomato sauce. But I don't love the amount of time it takes to make stuffed cabbage. This Unstuffed Cabbage recipe is the way to get that great taste without all the work.
1 large cabbage, sliced into 1/2 inch strips MEAT BALLS 2 pounds (1 kilogram) ground meat 2 eggs 4 ounces (125 grams) tomato sauce 3 tablespoons matzo meal or bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper SAUCE 16 ounces (450 grams) tomato sauce 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste 3 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste
1. Put 2 cups of water into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Add cabbage. Lower flame. Cover pot. Steam for 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix together the meat ball ingredients. Form the mixture into meat balls. Place the balls on top of the cabbage. Cover and continue to cook on low flame.
3. In a bowl, mix the sauce ingredients. Pour on top of the balls.
4. Cook for 1 hour, and then stir and taste. At this point, you can adjust seasonings by adding more water or tomato sauce or lemon juice or brown sugar according to taste. Cook for another 15-30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the cabbage is tender.