mealmanual.Search recipes →

Romanian · Romania

Romanian Cabbage Rolls with Smoked Meat

Sarmale filled with pork and rice, served with creamy mămăligă and spicy peppers.

65 minutes4 servings
Romanian Cabbage Rolls with Smoked Meat
Photo: Nicubunu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Ingredients

Method

  1. Blanch cabbage leaves in a pot of salted water until soft.
  2. In a bowl, combine ground pork, rice, onion, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.
  3. Place a portion of the mixture in each cabbage leaf, roll tightly, and secure with a toothpick.
  4. Arrange the rolled cabbage in a pot, add water, and simmer for 45 minutes.
  5. Prepare mămăligă by cooking polenta with water and salt until thick.
  6. Sauté the smoked pork and hot peppers in a pan until cooked through.
  7. Serve the sarmale with mămăligă, smoked meat, and a side of sour cream.
  8. Check that the ground meat reaches 71°C (160°F) throughout before serving.

More Romanian recipes →