Holupki (Gołąbki) Recipe

Holupki originated in Poland but is popular and is known by other names throughout Eastern Europe. They are made with a mixture of ground beef and pork formed into a fist sized ball. This is then wrapped in lightly steamed cabbage and cooked slow and low with sauerkraut and tomato sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
Large pot or Dutch Oven with a lid

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 egg
1 yellow onion, diced
4 + 1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 head of cabbage
1 jar sauerkraut
1 12oz. can tomato soup

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the pork, beef, uncooked rice, egg, diced onion, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients so that they are well combined. Set aside for later.
2. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the head of cabbage to the pot and boil for about 5 minutes or enough time for leaves to loosen up so that you can peel them off the head. You may have to peel a few cabbage leafs off then return the head to the pot to loosen more leaves. The leaves should be tender enough to peal off of the head without tearing them. After you have peeled off most or all of the leaves, pour out any remaining water and dry out the inside of the pot.
3. Form small, handful sized balls of the meat mixture and wrap each with a single cabbage leaf.
   
4. Place the wrapped balls of meat (Holupki) in the bottom of the large pot.
5. When the bottom of the pot is covered with Holupki, cover them with a layer of sauerkraut.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 until you have wrapped up all of the meat.
7. Add 1 cup of water and 1 can of tomato soup to the pot.
8. Place cover on the pot and cook over low heat for 2 1/2 hours.
   

Poland [ print this recipe for Holupki ]