Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golabki)

For the filling:
In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and starting to caramelize. Add garlic and cook just until soft, but not browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, cooked rice, eggs, 2 teaspoons of the seasoning blend, salt, pepper and onion/garlic mixture. Mix well with your hands until fully combined and set aside.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, until softened but not browned. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and juice and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apple cider vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prepare the rolls.

To prep the cabbage: Core the cabbage and place the head in a large pot of boiling water. Cover the pot and cook just long enough for leaves to become soft and are able to be removed easily. You can pull the leaves off one by one when they are easily removed. Drain leaves in a colander and pat dry with paper towel. Using a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, shave the spine on the back of each leaf so that it is equal in thickness to the rest of the leaf. You will need approximately 12 whole leaves.

For the assembly:

Lay each cabbage leaf flat, spine side down on your work surface. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the cabbage leaf and roll up, tucking in the sides as you go. Place rolls, seam side down, into an un-greased baking dish. Repeat until all leaves and filling are used. Pour sauce over the rolls. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate or bake.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bake the rolls, covered, for 2 hours or until the meat is cooked through and the cabbage is very tender. Remove from oven and serve.