Golubtsi: Голубцы
Bonnie Morales' deeply personal family cabbage rolls, stuffed with a savory filling and slow-baked in a sweet and sour tomato sauce.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total time
- 300 min
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Serves
- 12
A comforting, time-honored family recipe from Kachka in Portland.
We were connected to Bonnie through Engrained is Story storyteller Micaela Colley.
"Golubtsi are one of the most personal dishes we serve at Kachka. I’ve tinkered with them a little, but they’re still very much my mother’s cabbage rolls. Guests have cried over their bowls, reminded of a grandmother who’s gone or family living far away. Those moments mean more to me than any review or accolade, and they help carry me through even the hardest days. We’ve always made them with rice because that’s what I grew up eating. But when Micaela approached me about creating a dish using buckwheat, I kept being pulled to golubtsi. Somehow, this version feels even more like home than the one I grew up with. I can’t explain it, but it makes me wonder whether someone in my family, generations back, made them this way. There’s just something so hauntingly comforting about them."
Step 1
Prepare the cabbage
Place the cabbage in a stockpot, cover with water, and bring to a boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool, peel outer leaves, shave down thick ribs, and slice up any trimmings.
Step 2
Make the sauce
Sauté the carrot, onion, garlic, and cabbage trim in oil until softened. Add the crushed tomatoes, jam, and water. Simmer for 20 minutes and season with salt.
Step 3
Mix the meat filling
Mix the ground pork, lamb, and beef in a bowl until uniform. Add the cooked rice (or buckwheat) and salt, mixing to combine.
Step 4
Assemble and sear
Lay one-third of the sauce in a large casserole dish. Place about 1/3 cup of filling in a cabbage leaf and roll tightly like a burrito. Sear the parcels seam side down in oil until golden brown, then transfer to the dish.
Step 5
Bake
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls, cover the pan, and bake at 425°F for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake another 3 hours. Serve hot, garnished with smetana and fresh dill.