Tootsies Romanian Sarmale ( Cabbage Rolls)

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups long grain rice, rinsed
• 1 pounds pork loin roast, ground with 1 pound hamburger
• 1 pound carrots, chopped
• 1 pound onions, chopped
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 cup sunflower seed oil
• Chopped parsley fine
• 4-5 bay leaves
• I smoked meat ( I use smoked ham or ham shank, even country ham)
• 2 medium head cabbage

Directions

1.                    Place rice in a medium bowl, and pour boiling water over it. Let soak for 15 minutes, then drain.

2.                    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, parsley chopped fine, onions and tomato paste. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the rice.

3.                    Add the ground meat fresh not cooked to the bowl with the rice and vegetables; season with dill and black pepper. Stir until everything is well blended.

4.                    Carefully remove the leaves from the head of cabbage, and place them in a large pot with about 4-6 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender and flexible. Then cut the vein out to make rolling leaves better.

5.                    On each of the leaves, place about 2 tablespoons of the meat and rice mixture in the center, and wrap the leaf around to cover. Fold each end to be tucked inside making it a closed leaf now.  Take extra cabbage and chop small and place in bottom of your pan before placing rolled cabbages in the pot. Place the stuffed cabbage leaves into the baking pan.

6.                    When the baking pan is full, place a few boiled cabbage leaves over the top and now add bay leaves and smoked meat between cabbage rolls you can cut smoked meat in to smaller pieces. Pour water into the pan to cover the cabbage rolls, and place over medium-low heat. Cover, and bake on about 350 for about hour or until the rice is tender.

7.                      When you serve have sour cream or a hot sauce handy to add as you like really brings out the flavor.