Recipe of the Month
by Duane Radford
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls (Jim's Version)
Ingredients:
● 2 tbsps butter (or canola oil)
● salt and pepper to taste
● 1 pound (lean) ground venison
● 1 white sweet Spanish onion (finely diced)
● 2 cloves crushed or prepared minced garlic
● 1 teaspoon dried thyme
● 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
● 6 cups chopped green cabbage
● 2 cups of beef broth
● 1 can (398 mL) diced tomatoes
● 2 cups basmati rice
● 1 can (284 mL) tomato soup
● 1 tablespoon tomato paste
● 3 tablespoons brown sugar
● 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Jim Stelfox, an old colleague and friend of mine, shared this recipe with me for unstuffed cabbage rolls. Jim claimed that it has all the same flavours as classic baked cabbage rolls, but with way less work. He added, “It’s hearty, filling, and the perfect choice for an easy dinner option.”
After having cooked this dish, in my opinion, if you like cabbage rolls, this recipe is for you! I made a few minor changes in Jim’s ingredients list to suit my personal tastes. As I’ve always maintained, you don’t have to explicitly follow cooking instructions or the ingredients list to a “T” so by all means, make changes that you think are appropriate.
Directions:
1. Melt the butter (or heat the canola oil) in a large oven roaster on a stove top.
2. Add the ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a cooking fork or spatula into small pieces. DON’T STOP until the meat is browned for about 20 minutes. Always cook ground meat until it’s done to destroy any harmful bacteria.
3. Add the onion and garlic to the ground meat and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Next, add the cabbage, crushed/diced tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato paste, vinegar, thyme, paprika, brown sugar and beef broth to the oven roaster and periodically stir the ingredients.
5. Bring to a simmer; cook for 35 to 40 minutes (or until cabbage is done, to taste) after adding the basmati rice, stirring the ingredients in the bottom of the oven roaster frequently to prevent sticking.
6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with parsley, if so desired.
Jim advised that you can substitute brown rice for white rice. Of note, like most dishes of this nature (i.e., chili, stews and casseroles) left-overs will taste even better once the seasoning spices set up overnight.
Some pan buns or dinner rolls go well with the meal, which doesn’t need any side dishes. The unstuffed cabbage rolls make for delicious comfort food at any time of the year.
For a wine pairing, I’d opt for a Pinot noir or similar light to medium-bodied red wine. For a beer pairing, an amber ale, a brown ale or stout would be my choice.
