Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage

This sweet and sour stuffed cabbage rolls recipe includes a ground beef, rice, and raisin filling that gets an extra tang from citric acid powder.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr 50 mins
• Total Time: 4 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 599 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 heads cabbage, cored
• 3 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 teaspoon citric acid powder
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 0.5 cup raisins
• 0.5 cup ketchup
• 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
• 0.66666668653488 cup uncooked white rice

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 2

Cook rolls for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes.

Step 3

Fill a large pot with water; bring to a boil. Add 1 head cabbage; boil until softened but still firm, about 5 minutes. Remove cabbage from pot; cool for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining 1 head cabbage.

Step 4

Add ground beef, cooked rice, ½ cup ketchup, eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to a bowl; mix with your hands until well combined.

Step 5

Shave a slice off large veins in center of cabbage leaves so they're easier to roll. Place a heaping spoonful filling in center of 1 leaf. Fold in left and right edges, then roll up leaf from the bottom, forming a tight cylinder. Secure with toothpicks if necessary. Continue filling and rolling leaves; set aside smaller cabbage leaves.

Step 6

Chop reserved cabbage leaves; add to a large pot. Add crushed tomatoes, sliced onion, raisins, ½ cup ketchup, remaining 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, citric acid powder (sour salt), salt, and black pepper. Stir in ½ cup white sugar; bring to a boil.

Step 7

Taste sauce; add remaining ½ cup sugar if desired. Place cabbage rolls into sauce. Pour remaining 1 cup ketchup on top of rolls. Cover pot; reduce heat to a simmer.