Pig in the Blanket

This is not the cocktail-hour pigs in a blanket with hot dogs in croissant dough. This is the Eastern European farmhouse version, the kind of cabbage rolls Polish, Slovak, and Hungarian grandmothers have been simmering for generations.

The technique works because of layering. Cabbage leaves get blanched until pliable, then wrapped around a sausage-and-rice filling. The rolls go into the pot on a bed of extra cabbage leaves so they don’t scorch on the bottom. Browned pork chops sit on top and the whole thing braises under a blanket of sauerkraut and tomato.

Four hours of low, lazy heat is what makes this dish. The rice cooks in the rendered sausage fat and tomato juice, the cabbage softens to silk, and the pork chops slip off the bone tender. Try to rush it and the rice stays gritty in the middle of the rolls.

The sauerkraut might seem like a lot, but it cooks down and mellows. What goes in tangy and sharp comes out funky-savory and balanced by the tomato sweetness.

Pro Tips

• Trim the thick rib at the base of each cabbage leaf so they roll without tearing. A vegetable peeler does this fastest.
• Put a heavy lid or a plate weighted with a can on top of the rolls during braising to keep everything submerged in liquid.
• Don’t drain the sauerkraut completely. The brine adds depth to the braising liquid.

Variations

• Swap pork chops for smoked pork hocks or kielbasa for a deeper, smokier pot.
• Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the tomato layer for a sweet-and-sour Polish style (golabki).
• Use beef or a beef-pork blend in the filling instead of pure sausage.