Hungarian Cabbage Rolls (Töltött Káposzta)

Tap an ingredient or step to check it off.

1. 1Step 1: Two days before, place the cabbages in the freezer in a freezer bag. The evening before, remove them from the freezer and leave them out on the counter overnight in a rimmed tray to catch the liquid.
2. 2Step 2: Make deep cuts around the core to help remove individual leaves. Trim the spines on all leaves that have a thick unpliable spine. Cut the larger outer leaves in half. Pile up all the leaves in a bowl ready to be filled and rolled. Since they may be a bit wet, do the rolling on a tea towel.
3. 3Step 3: Rinse the rice and leave it covered in warm water while preparing the rest of the filling. Drain it before adding it to the meat mixture.
4. 4Step 4: Peel the onions, cut them into chunks and pulse them in a food processor until they resemble a fine chop.
5. 5Step 5: Heat the fat over medium-high heat in a large fry-pan and cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
6. 6Step 6: Add the spices to the tomato puree and give it a quick whisk to evenly distribute.
7. 7Step 7: Begin to mix the two meats, and then add the tomato mixture, until it is somewhat evenly distributed.
8. 8Step 8: Mix the drained rice with the onion garlic mixture until all the rice is coated. Then add the rice and the tomato juice to the meat mixture.
9. 9Step 9: Use a wooden spoon or spatula, but hands are the best mixers.
10. 10Step 10: Make all the rolls, placing them seam-side down somewhere until you sort them into containers for cooking or freezing. Cabbage leaf in hand, add about 2 heaping tablespoons to the leaf (or a slightly smaller amount if it is a small cabbage leaf). Begin to roll the leaf to cover the filling; fold in one side of the leaf, continue to roll and then use your finger to tuck in the other side. For large outer leaves cut in half, if the spine is too stiff to fold, make a roll shaped like a cone.
11. 11Step 11: Place the cabbage rolls into roasting-type pans in quantities that work for you - about 12-16 per pan. Spread some of the finely sliced left-over cabbage on the bottom along with some tomato sauce/juice and place one layer of rolls over top. Place chunks of Hungarian smoked sausage in between the rolls. More of the finely sliced cabbage can be spread on top.
12. 12Step 12: Pour over a mixture of 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup tomato juice, and 1 cup water or chicken stock. The rolls will not be totally covered. Cover tightly with foil and freeze or bake the same day or next.
13. 13Step 13: Bake on the middle rack in a 350 F oven for 2 to 2.5 hours. Take a peek at the 1 hour mark to see if more liquid is needed - adding more tomato juice if necessary to keep the rolls moist. Check at 2 hours if the rice is done, and if not return the pan to the oven for another 30 minutes. Frozen trays can be cooked the same way if thawed first, or a bit longer if baked from frozen.