Recipe: Unstuffed Cabbage Meatballs, Porcupine Meatballs with Sauerkraut, Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Meatballs (8 recipes)

RECIPE IN THIS FILE:
Unstuffed Stuffed Cabbage
Unstuffed Cabbage - 4 recipes
Porcupine Meatballs with Sauerkraut
Sweet And Sour Cabbage with Meatballs
Unstuffed Cabbage and Meatballs

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UNSTUFFED STUFFED CABBAGE

1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon sugar
Cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves
Salt and pepper
1 small chopped onion
2 can (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
Water
1 small can sauerkraut
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup raisins
1 small cabbage

Mix meat with eggs, rice, sugar, salt, pepper and spices according to taste. (A dash of each is a good measure.)

Saute chopped onion in a little oil until golden. Add tomato sauce, equal amount of water (use can as a measure), sauerkraut and juice, brown sugar and raisins. Heat mixture until well mixed.

Meanwhile, form meat mixture into balls. Taste tomato sauce, it should be sweet-sour. Add more sugar, if desired.

Shred cabbage into thin strips. Put half of cabbage in bottom of large baking pan; place half of meatballs on top, cover with half of tomato sauce. Repeat.

Cover pan with lid or foil, and bake at 325 degrees F for 2 hours. Taste, add more brown sugar if desired, bake another half-hour. Cabbage should be limp and totally transparent. Taste improves with lengthy baking.

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UNSTUFFED CABBAGE

1 small yellow onion, chopped, divided use
8 ounces lean ground beef
3 tablespoons uncooked long grain rice
1 egg white OR 1 egg yolk (when doubling recipe, use 1 whole egg)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon EACH pepper and dried thyme
1/2 head of small, 2-pound cabbage, coarsely shredded
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup canned tomatoes with juice
1 cup water

Place half the onion in mixing bowl with ground beef, rice, egg, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix lightly but thoroughly by hand, shape into four meat balls.

Spread half of cabbage in a 6-cup saucepan, arrange meat balls over cabbage. Spread with remaining cabbage mixed with remaining onion. Sprinkle with brown sugar, pour over tomatoes and water. Bring to a simmer over low heat, cover and cook 1 hour, or until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. Add extra water if necessary during cooking, to prevent sticking. Serve hot.

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ONE POT UNSTUFFED CABBAGE
Makes 6-8 servings

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup raisins
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

In a large skillet, combine sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the rice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over rice mixture; mix well. Shape into 36 balls, about 1 1/4-inches in diameter.

Add meatballs to simmering sauce. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes longer or until sauce is thickened.

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UNSTUFFED CABBAGE

3 lbs ground meat
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/4 cup water
3/4 uncooked long grain white rice
1 onion finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
Garlic powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 head green cabbage shredded
1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
4 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 lemons
1/2 cup raisins

In a large mixing bowl combine the ground beef, eggs, water, rice, and onion. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Gently mix by hand. Set aside

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the cabbage and the kosher salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tomato juice, tomato sauce, brown sugar, sugar, juice from the lemons and the raisins.

Gently form meatballs out of the meat mixture (do not handle too much or the meat will toughen).

Add meatballs to cabbage mixture. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 1 hour.

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UNSTUFFED CABBAGE
Makes 10-12 servings

2 bags (16 oz. each) shredded cabbage
FOR THE MEAT MIXTURE:
2 lbs. ground meat
1 small onion, grated
1 cup uncooked rice
1 egg
1 egg white
4 Tablespoon ketchup
1 clove garlic, minced, or 1 cube frozen garlic
FOR TOPPING:
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a small skillet and saut the chopped onion until golden.

Place half the shredded cabbage on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground meat, grated onion, rice, egg, egg white, ketchup, and garlic and mix to incorporate. Place the meat mixture on top of the cabbage, and then spread the remaining cabbage on top of the meat.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sauteed onions, tomato sauce and brown sugar. Pour over cabbage.

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Note: Instead of baking it in the oven, you can also cook it in a heavy 5 quart pot or Dutch oven over a small flame for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

TO FREEZE AHEAD:
After cooking and cooling, this freezes beautifully in an aluminum foil pan. Thaw and reheat at 250 degrees F until warmed through.

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PORCUPINE MEATBALLS WITH SAUERKRAUT

1/2 pound each, lean ground pork, lean ground beef and ground veal
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup uncooked white rice (not instant)
1/4 cup water (for the meatballs)
2 cans (14 oz.each) sauerkraut (not too sour.)
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can Campbell's condensed tomato soup (plus one can water)

Mix meat, bread crumbs, onions, peppers, egg, and salt and pepper. Fry up a bite size portion of meat to check and correct seasoning. Add rice and water, and mix all the above ingredients thoroughly. Form meatballs slightly larger than golfballs, and place on wax paper on a cooking sheet. (it is easier).

Heat up large skillet with 3 tablespoons fat (crisco oil is fine), and on medium to medium-high heat, very gently brown meatballs without creating a crust. Don't heat at too low a heat so the fat soaks in, just stand there and keep watch and keep turning them GENTLY for even heating. remove from skillet. drain on paper towel. The meatballs should NOT be cooked through - maybe 50% - just barely browned, without any "crust."

Pour cans of kraut into a large stockpot with a lid. I like to add the can juices, and I don't rinse the kraut, either. Gently nestle the partially-cooked meatballs INTO the top layer of the kraut.Pour can of condensed tomato soup over top; don't stir, but spread as evenly as you can - a rubber spatula is good). Sprinkle/drizzle over that another can of water to help "spread it out" and give liquid to the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. This will not result in a soupy consistency - merely moist kraut.

Cover and cook on medium heat at a medium simmer on the stove for 1 hour. Don't keep peeking and letting the steamy heat out! But do check as the time goes on for scorching. At one hour, check to see that the meatballs are cooked through (split one to see if still pink). Simmer until done. This long simmer is important to cook through the meatballs and to allow the fat and juices and seasonings from the meatballs to really flavor the kraut.

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SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE WITH MEATBALLS

FOR THE SOUP:
1 large onion, diced
2 lbs green cabbage, chopped
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can tomatoes with juice
1 cup water or more depending on how soupy you want this
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup raisins (optional and added after 2 hours of cooking Meatballs)
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t salt or to taste
1 egg
1/2 cup grated onion
1/2 cup uncooked white rice

Combine all soup ingredients, except raisins in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil.

While mixture is coming to a boil, mix the meatball ingredients together. Shape into walnut sized balls and drop into boiling soup. Reduce heat, cover ad simmer for two hours. Remove cover and add raisins if desired. Continue cooking for 30 more minutes. This is where you may want to add more water if you like this the consistency of soup.

I serve this dish with lots of freshly ground black pepper.

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UNSTUFFED CABBAGE AND MEATBALLS

May be cooked ahead and refrigerated or frozen.

2 pounds green cabbage, shredded
3 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 medium onion, shredded
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 (10 ounce) bottle chili sauce
2/3 cup water
1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread shredded cabbage in large roasting pan. Combine ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, green peppers, mustard, garlic powder and black pepper. Shape into about 36 meatballs.

Place meatballs over cabbage. Pour chili sauce evenly over meatballs and cabbage. Pour water over the cabbage. Spread cranberry sauce evenly over the meatballs. Put tomato sauce all over. Cover pan tightly with lid or aluminum foil.

Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until cabbage is softened.