This one is for all the cabbage lovers of the world. I am a devout cabbage lover myself and I guarantee, your expectations will not be disappointed in this dish. I came across this recipe by way of a Hungarian cook many, many years ago and I have served it up to family and friends with praise, even to non-cabbage lovers.
I choose a large cabbage that is without rips and tears in the leaves. After cleaning and washing the cabbage, I use a paring knife to cut the leaves away from the core as shone, be careful to not injure yourself. I push the paring knife all the way in up to the hilt. I then press a fork into the core as far in as I can so that I can lift the cabbage in and out of the boiling water.
This may look to be a bit awkward and unorthodox however, it works great. If the cabbage slips off of the fork, I simply push the fork back into the core with enough pressure to lock it back in there and I am ready to peel the next leaf.
The size of the meat rolls is a matter of preference. Sometimes I plan for as much as ten rolls from the two pounds of meat or, in this case, I planned out five to provide larger servings....more than I should, I get greedy for this dish! So, I peel ten leaves and decide what quantity I will render in process.
The remainder of the cabbage is sliced into wedges, or strips, and arranged to cover the bottom of the cooking vessel...dutch oven, crock pot, etc. I only stack one layer of cabbage because there are five layers of ingredients in this recipe and I don't want to run out of room. If there is cabbage in excess of this plan, I store it in the fridge for use in another recipe.