Stuffed Cabbage Meatloaf.

Amarante

Tue, Nov 30 2021, 2:29 pm

This was a tasty twist on meat loaf and like the blintz casserole I make, it delivers the taste of Stuffed Cabbage without the tedious work of making the individual rolls.

I did make the sauce ahead of time and assembled the meatloaf earlier in the day as I like preparing food earlier when things aren't as hectic.

I had never made an meatloaf with eggs in the middle but it was a nice surprise. There are some classic lasagna recipes that also hide eggs in the middle.Of course one could omit eggs.

STUFFED CABBAGE MEATLOAF

Excerpt From: Faith Kramer - 52 Shabbat

Serves 4

While my Grandma Anna wasn’t known for her cooking, she made a tasty meatloaf and her stuffed cabbage was stellar. Both dishes provided the inspiration for this recipe, which is a giant stuffed cabbage roll. I wanted all the flavors of stuffed cabbage but I didn’t want to do all the work. The tangy sweet-and-sour raisin sauce replicates the one my grandmother made. The sauce is also tasty on cooked grains and makes a nice accompaniment for roasted or grilled chicken or fish. Make two meatloaves if you are doubling the recipe.

FOR THE SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE

½ cup raisins
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ cup diced tomatoes

FOR THE STUFFED CABBAGE

1 pound ground beef
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs or matzo meal
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 large green cabbage leaves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled

TO MAKE THE SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE

Place the raisins in a small bowl, add hot water to cover, and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain the raisins and transfer them to a small saucepan. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, ginger, salt, and black pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and diced tomatoes and cook until very thick but pourable, an additional 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt, and add sugar and/or vinegar as needed to get the sauce as sweet or sour as you like. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE STUFFED CABBAGE
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, and tomato paste until just combined (do not overmix). Let rest for 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Immerse the cabbage leaves in the boiling water, cover, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until the leaves are just pliable, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, remove the leaves, rinse with cold water, and pat dry. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The leaves will be very pliable. Trim off any hard or very fibrous stem ends.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Place the 2 largest cabbage leaves in the center of the baking pan, stem end to stem end.

Mound half of the meatloaf mixture into an 8-by-4-inch loaf shape in the middle of the 2 cabbage leaves. Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, shape a 1-by-1-inch channel lengthwise in the middle of the meat. Press the whole hard-boiled eggs into the channel, spacing them evenly. Mound the remaining meat mixture over the top, completely covering the eggs. Drape 2 or 3 cabbage leaves over the meatloaf, filling in any gaps with the remaining leaves. Fold up the cabbage leaves from the bottom of the meatloaf to enclose it completely.

Brush the cabbage-wrapped meatloaf with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, brushing the cabbage with the remaining tablespoon of oil after 20 minutes, or until the meatloaf is cooked through, firm to the touch, and an instant-read thermometer inserted a few inches into the meatloaf (inserted from the side to avoid the eggs) registers 160°F. Let the meatloaf sit for 20 minutes. Transfer the meatloaf to a serving platter and top with a few tablespoons of the sweet-and-sour raisin sauce. Using a large serrated knife, gently cut the meatloaf into slices. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

MAKE IT IN ADVANCE: The recipe can be made 1 day in advance. Store the meatloaf and sauce separately in the refrigerator, wrapping the meatloaf tightly in plastic wrap.