Recipes

[Kachina624]

@Carmie   What is Sarma?  I never heard of it.

[Carmie]

@Kachina624   It is cabbage leaves stuffed with a ground meat and rice mixture.  It is cooked in a pot layered with sauerkraut and sometimes small pieces of smoked sausage.

It is quite popular with people from a Slavic country.  It is served all winter long and always during the Christmas holiday season.  Some people call it pig in the blanket and the whole cabbage heads that are brined like sauerkraut are called sour heads.

It is really, really popular in the area where I live.

[drizzellla]

Earlier today I had looked at Stuffed Cabbage Soup recipes because I was looking for recipes to use the sauerkraut I had bought. Then I asked for opinions from you ladies.

I was going to throw out the sauerkraut because I know no one in the household would try and find a recipe to use it. My husband saw a recipe that I had found for Stuffed Cabbage Soup. He said it sounded good. So I figured I had nothing to lose except the time to prepare it. Well, we had it for dinner. And I must say I liked it. And everyone took a second helping.

The recipe was for a slow cooker. It was hamburger, onion, cabbage (in my case sauerkraut), garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce and rice. Not very soup like but everyone took a second helping.

Thanks for all your input and insight. I was lucky this time but usually I am not. Ask my family about some of the meals that I try.

[tiny 2]

@Carmie,

"Sarma stuffed with ground beef and rice is served with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and bite size pieces of smokedpork sausage which contains paprika... responsible for the red colored juice."

Does the pork sausage with paprika have a specific name or is it something you can buy? Do you have to make the sausage?

[Carmie]

@tiny 2 The sausage is smoked sausage...hot or mild.We buy it locally at Schmidts Shop in Harrisburg, PA.

They sell Sarma already made at the shop and it is called pig in the blanket.

They sell the homemade sauerkraut and "sour heads" of cabbage as well.

You can look them up on line and call them to place an order.  They do not take CC, so you would need to send them a check.

The shop is small and local and has been in business  since the 60's.  They are family owned.

I will vouch for the cleanliness and quality of their meats and other products.  

[depglass]

Carmie, would you mind posting the recipe for the Sarma, or is this one of those eyeball things?  

[Carmie]

It is an eyeball recipe.

actually, my DH makes it....it is probably the only thing he cooks besides an occasional grilled cheese sandwich.  I haven't had to make it in years.

He mixes ground beef and pork, with eggs, dried rice, salt and pepper and garlicpowder.  Then grabs a small handful and lays it on a cabbage leaf and rolls it up, tucking in the ends to keep the roll closed.

the rolls are layered in a pot with sauerkraut and small pieces of smoked sausage and cooked on the stove for a few hours.

the cabbage leaves need to be soft...either by brining or being frozen.  Some people put a head of cabbage in the freezer for a few days.  When thawed out, they are soft enough to work with.

There are recipes on line...most include tomato sauce and onions....which we do not use.  I have tasted sarma with tomato sauce and I like it.  My DH did not.  He is very traditional.  Both of his parents were Slavic and his mother was born in Europe.

I am Italian.  We put tomato sauce on everything.

[tiny 2]

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@Carmie wrote:

@tiny 2 The sausage is smoked sausage...hot or mild.We buy it locally at Schmidts Shop in Harrisburg, PA.

They sell Sarma already made at the shop and it is called pig in the blanket.

They sell the homemade sauerkraut and "sour heads" of cabbage as well.

You can look them up on line and call them to place an order.  They do not take CC, so you would need to send them a check.

The shop is small and local and has been in business  since the 60's.  They are family owned.

I will vouch for the cleanliness and quality of their meats and other products.  

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@Carmie, Thanks for the address for the shop. It seems really nice. I have been searching for a recipe without the tomato sauce and found a couple that used heavier amounts of paprika. Some insist that it must be made with sour head and give instruction to make it that started with, Get a barrel, . Do you use a roux? I am hoping to give it a try after I have moved.

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[Carmie]

@tiny 2   We do not use a roux.   My DH does use a sour head and sometimes makes his own in a crock, or we buy one at Schmidt's.

When people make this in the summer months, a sour head is not available and you need to use a nice head of fresh cabbage.  You just dig out the core the best you can, wrap in plastic wrap and put in your freezer.

When you thaw out the cabbage, it is easy to work with the cabbage leaves.  Just make sure to use a good sauerkraut to layer with.

We do not add paprika, it is just in the smoked sausage.

You can always ask me any questions when you re ready to make it.

the ingredient list is

2 parts Ground  beef and 1 part pork mixed together 

rice...no need to pre cook

salt, pepper

Head of cabbage..sour head or pre frozen

sauerkraut

smoked sausage...not Italian

bacon cut into small pieces ...mixed with the ground meat and also  layered in the kettle with the cabbage rolls and sauerkraut.