Babushkini Golubtsi

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork (can either make yourself from pork shoulder or buy prepared)

• 1/2 c plain rice

• 1 med. yellow onion

• 2/3c sour cream

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 2 1/4 c tomato juice (+ at least 1-2 cups in reserve)

• 1 cabbage - pick one that is not too tightly wound and round in shape (not oval) - 15cm diameter

• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl boil the rice for a few minutes so it becomes a bit soft. The rice should not be fully cooked but should be soft enough to be bitten in half.

• Dice the onion into pretty small pieces and fry on the stove for 3 minutes with olive oil.

• Combine meat, rice, and onion and mix well (can use your hands to mix).

• Using a large sharp knife, cut out the tough stem of the cabbage (from the bottom) in such a way that there is a cone-shaped hole reaching about half-way into the cabbage. The hole should be wide enough to observe the leaves separating from each other slightly. Boil a large pot of water (pot must be made from stainless steel and large enough to submerse the entire cabbage). Submerse the cabbage with the hole pointed up in such a way that hot water pours into the hole (use a fork to push the cabbage underwater). You should see the leaves separate to the point where you can pull out each one individually using a fork.

• To make each golubets: place a portion of the meat toward one end of the cabbage leaf. Roll the cabage leaf toward the center such that it covers the meat once, then bend the corners of the leaf and roll again so that the cabbage leaf rolls over the corners and covers them.

• In a large pot, pour about 1in water. Place golubtsi with the seamless part facing bottom and make sure to arrange them not too tightly. The pot should be large enough so that there is at least 2-3in of free space at the top of the pot after all the golubtsi have been arranged. Cover the golubtsi with 2-3 layers of additional cabbage leaves. Bring the pot to a boil then cover leaving an opening and continue boiling for about 50min-1h.

• After about 50min prepare the tomato juice by slowly pouring it onto a warm pan on the stove and combining it with the sour cream and sugar. Once all of the tomato juice is added, bring to a boil, then pour over the golubtsi in the pot. If necessary, add more tomato juice so that it barely reaches the top of the golubtsi (it can reach but not cover the top layers of cabbage leaves)

• Continue boiling golutsi on medium heat until ready (need to verify the time).