Traditional recipe from my country

Sarmalele are always on the Romanian holiday tables.

Discover a traditional recipe of pork and beef in sour cabbage!

Ingredients for sarmale meat with sour cabbage :

• 400 gr of minced pork
• 300 gr of minced beef
• 2 onions
• 2 buckets of rice
• 3 tablespoons of tomato broth
• 1 dairy link
• 1.5 kg of sour cabbage
• ground pepper
• 6-7 pepper grains
• 2 bay leaves
• dry thyme
• 200 g of smoked bacon (or any kind of smoked meat)

How to cook meat with sour cabbage: Clean the onion and chop it fine, then sprinkle a little oil, turn the range's heat to a low setting and place it in a covered pot until it becomes glassy.
Add the pre-cooked rice in cold water and 1 tablespoon of broth. (Rice is about 2/3 of the total).

Allow it to cool for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add a tablespoon spoon and leave it for 2 minutes.
In a larger bowl, place the meat, along with the onion and early roasted broth, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, chopped dill. Mix well.

If the cabbage is salty, do not put salt, and if it is too salty, leave it in warm water for at least one hour before it is used.
After preparing the meat, loosen the cabbage leaves from the spine, cut the thicker ribs, place the cabbage sheet in the palm, take the meat with a spoon and roll the cabbage roll around the meat, taking care to cover with cabbage and the stems of the bunch, to avoid leaving the meat.

The sarmale are put in a fairly large pan, next to each other, in the circular shape. Place a spoonful of oil, 2-3 whole cabbage leaves and 1 cm coarse minced cabbage on the bottom of the saucepan.

When you finish making a layer of sarmale, put a spoon of diluted broth over them in a water cup and a few pieces of smoked cheese.
Between the sarmale, break 2 dried bay leaves.
Then continue with another layer of sarmale, then smoke and again sarmale until you finish them.
Place a 1 cm coat of chopped cabbage over the last layer of sarmale and spread another spoonful of spice.
Fill with water until it exceeds a few centimeters.
Cover the saucepan and boil over medium heat for about 40 minutes.
It is checked from time to time that the water does not fall too much and is filled when needed.
After that, give place the range on a small setting and leave until they are ready, at least one more hour.
Basically you need to take a sarmala on a plate and taste it, the cabbage must be well cooked. If you want, you can cook them in the oven, but it will take a little longer, at least 2-3 hours.
But they will be tastier.

Enjoy the meal!!!

👍👌