Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - how to make the perfect Romanian Sarmale

Romanian stuffed cabbage rolls - known more as Sarmale are a key of highly competive issue. Every Romanian woman is convinced that they are the greatest cooks in this area - any other Romanian woman's Sarmale is likely to make you ill - with the possible exception of their mothers and their grandmothers. I personally find as the woman gets progessively older, the Sarmale tends to get better - my theory being that it is natural selection kills off the worst cooks.

It is best to eat this meal at Christmas, as then the local pig has just had its throat sliced - if you are around for this, it is a really great time - standing about in the freezing cold, supping beer, and eating the freshest pork you will ever eat.

What do I need to make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

• One large pickled cabbage
• 1kg minced pork
• 2 large onions (finely chopped)
• 50 grams rice
• lard
• 5 tomatoes
• salt
• pepper
• water
• Dill

How to make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

1. Fry the onions until it has turned a golden brown.
2. Stir the onions into a bowl with the meat, rice, salt and pepper.
3. Take the pickled cabbage leaves - and carefully cut off the stalks, as these are not needed. We make our own pickled cabbage by putting cabbage in water with salt and some herbs and blowing air into it on a weekly basis - I would personally recommend you just get some from peasant in the market.
4. Take the mix and put a little into each cabbage roll - we did use a macine, but it only worked - as most things do - in the shop - so my mother-in-law and wife spend a night packing the meat mix into the cabbages and then putting them neatly into a large pot, in the neatest possible formation - using concentric circles. Add a bit of dill to add extra flavour.
5. Keep going until the pot is full. Fill the pot with water, and place some finely sliced cabbage leaves on to the top and some sliced tomatoes. Some people recommend smoked bacon, but as my family is not keen on anything smoked, I miss it out, and it does not seem to matter.
6. Leave the pot to slowly boil. Leave to boil for about 4 hours. Serve hot, with polenta and sour cream.

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