Here’s an original recipe for Unstuffed Cabbage. I made it the other night with a few changes (listed below), and it turned out really well. I used a pound of ground lamb instead of the mix of ground pork and beef called for in the original recipe, mostly because it was what I had on hand, but I had to spoon off a great deal of the rendered fat. It tasted great, nevertheless. I also used only half a head of cabbage, cut into 4 quarters — I think a half-a-pound of cabbage is a little much for one person.
½ (1-lb) head green cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cored
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground lamb
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons vinegar (red wine or cider)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
Cut the cabbage into quarters, and simmer in the chicken stock, covered, in a deep pan, for 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, brown the onions and the garlic, then add the meat, and brown until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, cranberries, vinegar and brown sugar, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid from the cabbage, and let most of the liquid evaporate. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Serves 4. Total cooking time: 1 hour.
If you’d like to see the creation and evolution of this recipe, Gourmet has a video.
