Cabbage rolls

Ingredients

For 2 people

• 18 oz green cabbage leaves, cored and separated into large leaves
• 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 4 oz ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 4 oz yellow onion, finely chopped, divided
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Cook the rice and soften the cabbageCombine the 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, 1 cup water, and 1/4 tsp of the kosher salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes. While the rice cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil, cut out the cabbage core, and separate 6 to 8 large leaves from the 18 oz of green cabbage leaves. Blanch the leaves in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until flexible, then move them to cold water. Drain well, pat dry, and shave down the thick center ribs so they roll without cracking.
2. Build the tomato sauceHeat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 2 oz of the chopped yellow onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until translucent but not browned. Stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, paprika, 1/2 cup water, crushed tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, sugar, another 1/4 tsp of the salt, and 1/4 tsp of the black pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce looks glossy and slightly thickened. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish and leave the rest in the skillet.
3. Mix the fillingIn a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, the remaining 2 oz of chopped onion, the egg, the chopped parsley, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and the remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix gently with your hands or a fork just until evenly combined. Do not compress the mixture too much or the rolls will bake up dense instead of tender.
4. Roll the cabbage leavesLay one cabbage leaf on a work surface with the stem end toward you. Place about 1/3 cup filling just above the stem, fold the sides inward, and roll tightly away from you to make a neat log. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling, using two thinner leaves together if one splits. If you have any torn cabbage scraps, line them in the bottom of the baking dish before adding the rolls so nothing sticks.
5. Sauce and bakeArrange the rolls seam side down in the sauced baking dish in a snug single layer. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top, adding 2 to 3 tbsp water only if the sauce is too thick to settle between the rolls. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and a center roll reaches 160 F.
6. Rest and serveLet the cabbage rolls rest for 10 minutes so the filling settles and the sauce thickens slightly. Spoon extra sauce over the top and serve hot straight from the baking dish.