Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 rings smoked kielbasa - 1 ring chopped small for filling, 1 ring sliced into rounds for layers.
1 lg. onion - chopped fine
3 lg. cloves garlic - chopped fine
2 Tbls. Hungarian paprika - or to taste
1 Tbls. Dry parsley
1 Tbls. salt
1 Tbls. Ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. MSG (optional)
2 lg. cans Sacramento tomato juice
2 lg. bags sauerkraut, save juice
2 lg. heads cabbage
Par cooked rice - ¾ c. rice, 1 c. water and 1/2 tsp. salt - mix together, bring to boil. Turn off, cover and let sit while you prep the rest.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Core head of cabbage, place in boiling water and ladle water into core. BE VERY CAREFUL! Remove leaves as they separate and plunge into large bowl of ice and water. Save small center leaves. Drain leaves and remove center ribs from leaves. Chop ribs and small center leaves.
Make layers: Layer some of the sauerkraut, then a layer of chopped cabbage ribs and leaves and then a layer of sliced kielbasa rounds in bottom of lg. Dutch oven (or 2). (if you have any filling left over from the leaves layer it with the kraut and kielbasa layers)
Mix beef, pork, spices, 1 ring kielbasa (chopped small), onion, garlic and rice (save any liquid). Mix well.
Lightly pack a small handful of the meat mixture and place in the center of a cabbage leaf. Fold top part of leaf over mixture, then fold in the sides and roll until mixture is completely encased. Lay rolls on top of sauerkraut and sliced kielbasa layers in pot. Repeat the layers and rolls till pot is almost full. Ending with a kielbasa layer. Fill pot with the kraut juice and tomato juice (and any rice liquid).
Cover pot and simmer 1 - 1 ½ hours or until filling is completely cooked. Add more tomato juice if needed.