Making 600 Sarmale (Romanian Stuffed Cabbage Roll) in One Day!

ground pork

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey reduces fat content while still providing flavor.

smoked bacon

🥗Healthier: turkey bacon

💰Cheaper: salted pork

Turkey bacon offers a leaner option with a similar taste.

sour cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: plain yogurt

Greek yogurt provides creaminess with fewer calories.

cabbage

🥗Healthier: collard greens

💰Cheaper: savoy cabbage

Collard greens offer similar texture and flavor.

Prepare the ingredients for 400 stuffed cabbages, ensuring everything is ready ahead of time.

In a large bowl, combine 10 kilos of ground pork and 2 kilos of ground beef.

Add 3 packs of smoked bacon to the meat mixture.

Incorporate 6 lbs of sautéed onions (prepared the day before) into the meat mixture.

Add 2 lbs of rice to the meat mixture, ensuring it is 10% of the total meat weight.

Season the mixture with sweet paprika, salt, and pepper to taste, adjusting quantities by eye.

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly by hand until well combined.

Prepare the cabbage leaves, which were cooked three days prior, stacking them in piles of 10.

Start rolling the stuffed cabbages by taking a cabbage leaf, placing a spoonful of filling at the base, folding in the sides, and rolling tightly.

Continue rolling until you have about 20 stuffed cabbages ready to cook.

Use a large clay pot for cooking, which is over 100 years old, to enhance the flavor.

Layer the rolled sarmale in the pot, making sure they are packed tightly.

Cover the sarmale with water and add any additional seasonings if desired.

Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until cooked through, checking periodically.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens