Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and mince the garlic. Pick the oregano and thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the oregano leaves. Peel and small dice the onion. Cut out and discard the stem and innermost leaves of the cabbage.

In a small pot, combine the rice, 1¼ cups of water and a big pinch of salt. Heat to boiling on high, then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 to 17 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the finished rice with a fork.

While the rice cooks, gently massage the head of cabbage to loosen the leaves. Once the water is boiling, completely submerge the cabbage and cook, covered, 7 to 9 minutes, or until softened and pliable. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Wipe out the pot (you’ll use it again later).

While the cabbage is cooking, in a separate, medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add half of the onion and half of the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 6 minutes, or until softened. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the diced tomatoes, paprika, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

While the sauce is cooking, in the pot used to cook the cabbage, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the remaining onion and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 6 minutes, or until softened. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until browned and mostly cooked through, frequently breaking apart the beef with a spoon. Stir in the cooked rice, oregano, beef demi-glace and ½ cup of water. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Carefully separate the cooked cabbage leaves. Working 1 leaf at a time, place a large spoonful of filling in the center of the leaf. Roll tightly, tucking in the sides of the leaf, and place in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining leaves and stuffing. Cover the stuffed cabbage with the remaining tomato sauce. Place the filled baking dish on a sheet pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the rolls are heated through. Remove from oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes. Garnish with the thyme. Enjoy!