Serbian Sarmas or Cabbage Rolls

How to make Serbian Sarmas or Cabbage Rolls Recipe - My friend, a lady of Czech background, recalls that her farm home always had the smell of sauerkraut which was served all winter long with many kinds of stewed meats, pork roasts, meatballs, meat loaves and cabbage rolls.

Ingredients:
1 large head cabbage
1/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup long-grain rice, cooked 10 minutes, rinsed, drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, mashed (optional)
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3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (2-pound) package refrigerated sauerkraut or 1 (32-ounce) can
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup beef broth

Method:
Carefully remove large outer leaves from cabbage; you will need 12 leaves.

Wash leaves. Drop into a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes or until leaves are just flexible.

Remove and drain. Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

In a large bowl, combine ground pork, ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, if desired, egg, salt and pepper. Divide meat mixture evenly to make 12 balls.

Place 1 ball of meat on each cabbage leaf; wrap leaves tightly to enclose meat. Rinse and drain sauerkraut. Spread in the bottom of a large shallow baking pan.

Place filled cabbage leaves on top of sauerkraut. In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, brown sugar and beef broth.

Stir and bring to a boil. Pour over rolls. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour. Add more liquid if necessary during cooking. Makes 12 cabbage rolls.

Variation:
German-Style Cabbage Rolls: Omit sauerkraut and beef broth. Add 1/4 cup cider vinegar and 1 (12-ounce) bottle or can of beer to tomato-sauce mixture. Bake as above.
Serve with buttered cooked noodles.