Stuffed Cabbage or Peppers

1 med. head cabbage or 8 green peppers

1 lb. lean ground beef or 1/2 lb. beef and 1/2 lb. lean pork

2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. minced parsley

1/2 tsp. basil or thyme

Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

 

Cut core from whole cabbage and submerge head in boiling water.  As leaves soften, remove each leaf until all but the smallest have been separated; trim heavy spines. Mix remaining ingredients; put heaping tablespoon of filling on each leaf and roll up in a package.  Chop remaining cabbage and place in casserole or roasting pan.  Place rolls in casserole seam side down in layers.  For peppers, cut off tops; clean out insides.  Fill with meat mixture.  Place in casserole in one closely packed layer.  Put tops on  peppers.  Pour sauce over cabbage or peppers and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

 

Sauce:

 

3 Tbsp. butter

1 clove garlic, minced

2 onions, chopped fine

2 (16 oz.) cans tomatoes (chop tomatoes and reserve juice)

1/2 cup canned beef broth

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Salt, pepper

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp. thyme

1 cup sour cream

Brown onion and garlic in butter.  Add remaining ingredients except sour cream.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in sour cream and pour over cabbage rolls or stuffed peppers.

Stuffed cabbage is both a Polish and a German tradition, so Donald and I both grew up enjoying it.  Pork is actually the more traditional meat filling.  For a faster sauce, try Grandma Piotrowski's:  1 cup sour cream and 2 cans tomato soup.  Mix well, add a little water, and pour over stuffed cabbage or peppers before baking.