Cabbage Sarma

Clay pots time! Cabbage Sarma!

We glad to present you another recipe, this time it’s an Ancient one, and a Great one. Straight out from our ancestors! Your beloved chief, fire, coals and organic natural homemade ingredients are included. Did you know, that it was found in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire from the Middle East to the Balkans and Central Europe?

You will need this ingredients (8 servings):

For stuffing:

• 1 big onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp. mangalica lard

• 800g organic beef mince

• 1/2 cup rice

• 1 tsp. mustard seeds

• 1 tsp. cumin seeds

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Other ingredients:

• 10-12 pickled cabbage leaves

• 200g homemade smoked bacon

• 200g Vesalica (smoked organic pork)

Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp. mangalica lard

• 1 tbsp. flour

• 1 tbsp. homemade smoked paprika

• 1 cup water

Steps:

Let’s start with stuffing:

• Preheat your pan on the medium fire.

• Chop 1 big onion and add it into the pan.

• Stir-fry 1 min.

• 1 tbsp. mangalica lard in, stir-fry 2 min.

• Add 800g organic beef mince, mix it good.

• Cook everything for 2 min, and put it aside after.

• Your pan should be empty for now, only liquid lard should be in.

• Add the seeds: 1/2 cup rice, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 tsp. cumin.

• Chop 3 garlic cloves, and add it in.

• Time to salt it, with 1 tsp. And of course do not forget about 1/2 tsp. black pepper.

• Cook 1 min.

• Add the meat back. Cook for few more minutes.

• Do not wash your pan yet.

Our stuffing is ready now! Let’s wrap it in the cabbage leaves:

• Take 10-12 pickled cabbage leaves. Roll the meat in it. You should have now 10-12 cabbage rolls with meat.

• Put the rolls into the pot.

Time to make our sarma more juicy and meaty:

• Slice 200g homemade smoked bacon, and 200g vesalica.

• Fry it for 3 min on a medium fire.

• Add everything to the pot with sarma.

• Boil 1 cup of water and add it into the pot.

• Preheat the oven to +350 °F (+180 °C)

• Cook it for 3 hours. Yes, 3 hours, it’s not a mistake.

Seasoning part:

• You didn’t wash your pan, right? Good, let’s continue with seasoning.

• 1 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp. homemade smoked paprika.

• Mix it well, everything should be on the small fire.

• Add 1 cup of water. Mix again.

• Take your pot from the oven, add the seasoning into it.

• Put to the oven for 30 min. more.

• Enjoy! Bon Almarain!