Ingredients: serves 8
2 onions, 4 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 tablespoon quality paprika, 1 tablespoon Sweet Ann (sweet cherry pepper paste), 10 1/2 oz/30 dkg corn meal, 10 1/2 oz/30 dkg smoked chuck (cooked is fine
also), 10 1/2 oz/30 dkg ground pork, 3 1/2 oz/10 dkg smoked bacon, about 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 cloves garlic (1 teaspoon garlic cream), 1/4 teaspoon savory, 2 largish heads of cabbage
Juice: 1 qt/lt 100% tomato juice, 3 1/2 oz/10 dkg tomato puree, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
To Serve: sour cream (optional)

Peel and mince the onions and wilt them in oil. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika and Sweet Ann, add the cornmeal. Grind the two kinds of meat with the bacon, salt and pepper it, and season with crushed garlic and savory. Combine with the paprika
and cornmeal. Peel off 8 large or 16 smaller leaves from the cabbage, cut the rest into thin strips. Spread them on the bottom of a pottery dish or pan. Pare down the thick veins in the center of the cabbage leaves, then cut the leaves into half or even
thirds or quarters. Pile 1 tablespoon filling on each and fold them up into bundles, not too tight, to leave room for the cornmeal to expand. Make 4 such
small bundles per serving and place on top of the cut-up cabbage. Blend the tomato juice with the puree, 1/2 qt./lt water, sugar, salt, and pour on the cabbage. It should just cover it. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and steam until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Shake the pot several
times while cooking, so the cabbage won’t stick to the bottom, but you mustn’t stir, lest the stuffed cabbage break. If necessary, replace any juice that has evaporated. You may also prepare the dish in the oven. Bake covered for 2 hours at about 300°F/150°C. To serve, drizzle some sour cream over it.

Preparation time: 21/2 hours
Calories per serving: 588
Skill: Not easy to prepare