Name: Meat-Stuffed Cabbage with Polenta Side
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 1 head of cabbage; 500g ground pork; 200g ground beef; 1 cup rice; 1 onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/2 cup sour cream; 2 cups polenta; 2 cups milk; 2 tbsp butter; 1/4 cup grated cheese

A traditional Romanian dish featuring cabbage rolls filled with a meat and rice mixture, served with creamy polenta.

Method

Shred the cabbage and set aside.
In a bowl, mix ground pork, beef, rice, chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Roll the cabbage leaves around the meat mixture.
Place the rolled cabbage in a pot, add water to cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
While the sarmale cook, prepare the polenta by gradually adding polenta to boiling milk, stirring constantly.
Once the polenta is creamy, stir in butter and cheese.
Serve the sarmale with a dollop of sour cream and a side of polenta.
Check that the ground meat reaches 71°C (160°F) throughout before serving.