Stuffed Cabbage Meatloaf

Amarante

Wed, May 11 2022, 12:19 pm

I had a yen for old fashioned Holishkes aka Stuffed Cabbage but didn't want to go through the fuss of wrapping individual rolls.

These satisfied that taste and as the cookbook author's notes indicated reminded me also of my Bubbe's recipe as she was the one who made them and not my mother.

Per the notes you can make ahead of time and just store the loaf and the sauce separately.

Stuffed Cabbage Meatloaf

Excerpt From: Faith Kramer - 52 Shabbats

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.

Amarante

Wed, May 11 2022, 12:33 pm

crystal wrote:

Thanks for this idea I would totally try it! The only thing for me is the raisins, it won't go over well in my family. Can you think of a substitute, or will it be ok without it?

That is totally a taste type of thing as the raisins are very typical in this kind of Ashkenazi sauce.

You could probably add to the sauce and then just take a slotted spoon and take them out.

On the other hand they aren't a compulsory ingredient - LOL

just very traditional and you might have to modify the recipe if it isn't quite sweet enough without raisins because the raisins as they are cooking will release a certain amount of sweetness. It would be easy to adjust the sauce if you made it without raisins and just add a bit of honey. Or it could be sweet enough for your taste buds without the raisins.

At any rate, raisins themselves are not a *critical* ingredient so long as you like the way the sweet and sour elements blend in the final result.