Stuffed Cabbage with Lemon Sauce
Submitted by Jake400
Tender cabbage rolls stuffed with ground beef and rice, simmered for an hour, then topped with a buttery lemon sauce that brightens every bite. A comforting Eastern European classic.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsIf you’ve never tried cabbage rolls with a lemon sauce, you’re in for a revelation.
The bright, citrusy finish cuts right through the richness of the beef and butter, turning a familiar comfort dish into something truly special.
Ground beef and cooked rice get rolled into blanched cabbage leaves, then simmered gently until the flavors meld. The cooking liquid becomes the base for a silky lemon-butter sauce that gets poured right over the top.
Chef Tips
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not bottled. The difference in brightness is night and day.
- Make the flour paste (slurry) smooth before adding it to the pot. Lumpy sauce is nobody’s friend.
- Simmer on low, not a rolling boil. Gentle heat keeps the rolls intact and the cabbage tender.
- Serve these over a bed of extra rice to soak up every drop of that lemon sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Boil cabbage in salted water 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain and reserve 2½ cups water.
Cool cabbage, core and remove 12 large leaves.
Spread leaves out flat.
Sauté onion in 2 tablespoons butter until softened, then mix with beef, rice, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
Put a spoonful of the mixture in the middle of each leaf, fold up sides, roll up and secure with a toothpick.
Place the rolls in one layer in a large pot, add reserved water, lemon juice and remaining butter.
Cover and simmer 1 hour.
Remove cabbage rolls from pot.
Mix flour paste into cooking liquid and cook 3 to 4 minutes until thickened.
Add remaining salt and white pepper.
Pour over cabbage and serve.
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