Toltott kaposzta (hungarian stuffed cabbage)

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
12 ounces Pork loin, cut into 2 inch
Cubes
1 cup Chopped onion
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
8 ounces Mushrooms, coarsley chopped
1 cup Chicken stock
¼ cup Bulgur wheat
1 medium Cabbage head, trimmed with
Dammaged leaves removed
1 tablespoon Extra light olive oil with
A dash of sesame oil
3 tablespoons Low-salt tomato paste
1 tablespoon + 2 t paprika
½ teaspoon Caraway seeds
⅛ teaspoon Fresh ground salt
¼ teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup Strained yogurt
1 tablespoon Fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons Cornstarch mixed with
2 tablespoons Water

Directions

FIRST PREPARE

Mince the pork, onion, garlic and mushrooms in a meat grinder.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil, add the bulgur wheat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for later use in the sauce.

In a large saucepan, cover the whole cabbage with water, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the cabbage from the pan and cool quickly with cold water. Drain.

NOW COOK

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized wok or large frypan and add the ground pork mixture. When there is no pink left in the pork meat, add the tomato paste. Sprinkle in 1 T of the paprika and caraway seeds. Remove from the heat, stir in the cooked bulgur and set aside.

Place the cabbage core-side down on a board. Peel back the leaves without pulling them off at the core. Pull back as many cooked leaves as possible leaving a roudn inner head about 4 inches in diameter. hollow out the top of this inner head. Fill the hollow with a third of the pork filling or until packed solid. Set the leftover pork filling aside. Carefully re-fold the cabbage leaves into their original order and position. Wrap securely in muslin or cheesecloth.

Place some marbles in the bottom of a Dutch oven or large covered casserole. Put a steamer insert on top of the marbles. Add water to just above the base of the steamer. Place the wrapped cabbage on the steamer and cover. Cook on high heat for 30 miunutes. If you hear marbles clanking against the Dutch oven. you know it's time to add more water!

While the cabbage cooks, put the pork filling back on low heat, cover and simmer. Add additional stock if needed to keep it from sticking.

When the cabbage is done, lift it out of the pan with a couple of wooden spoons. Place it in a bowl just large enough to hold it, with the core facing upwards. Cut the muslin or cheesecloth away from the cabbage and fold it over the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate and holding it firmly, turn it upside down. Remove the bowl, strip off the muslin or cheesecloth and you've got a big, steamed cabbage sitting right-side-up!

Add the strained yogurt, the remaining paprika and parsley to the filling. Remove from the heat, stir in the cornstarch paste, return to the heat, brign to a boil and stir until thickened.

To serve: Slice the cabbage in wedges like a cake and serve in a small pool of sauce. Granish with parsley.

GRAHAM KERR'S SMART COOKING, Doubleday, page 119 Submitted By BRENT WILLIAMS On 11-13-94

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