Golabki (cabbage roll)

Instructions

1- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

2- Place cabbage head into water, cover pot, and cook until cabbage leaves are slightly softened enough to remove from head, 3 minutes.

3- Remove cabbage from pot and let cabbage sit until leaves are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

4- Remove 18 whole leaves from the cabbage head, cutting out any thick tough center ribs.

5- Set whole leaves aside.

6- Chop the remainder of the cabbage head and spread it in the bottom of a casserole dish.

7- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

8- Cook and stir onion in hot butter until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.

9- Cool.

10- Stir onion, beef, pork, rice, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl.

11- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

12- Place about 1/2 cup beef mixture on a cabbage leaf.

13- Roll cabbage around beef mixture, tucking in sides to create an envelope around the meat.

14- Repeat with remaining leaves and meat mixture.

15- Place cabbage rolls in a layer atop the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish; season rolls with salt and black pepper.

16- Whisk tomato soup, tomato juice, and ketchup together in a bowl.

17- Pour tomato soup mixture over cabbage rolls and cover dish wish aluminum foil.

18- Bake in the preheated oven until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked through, about 1 hour.