German Cabbage Rolls (Kohlrouladen with Brown Sauce)
These German Cabbage Rolls (Kohlrouladen) are made with tender Savoy cabbage leaves wrapped around a flavorful ground beef and pork filling, then slowly cooked in a rich brown sauce with bacon, onion, and sauerkraut.
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Ingredients
For the cabbage rolls
- 1 large Savoy cabbage approximately 900–1,400 g / 2–3 lb; you'll need 8–10 outer leaves, so that’s why large head is recommended
- 450 g 1 lb ground beef
- 225 g ½ lb ground pork
- 60 g 2 small slices stale bread (sourdough or regular)
- 80 ml ⅓ cup milk
- 1 small onion approximately 100 g, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground caraway seeds
- 1¼ teaspoons approximately 7 g fine salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon butter or lard or olive oil
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter or lard or olive oil
- 75 g 2½ oz smoked bacon or pancetta, diced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 100 g approximately ½ cup sauerkraut, drained and roughly chopped. You can add more if you wish to!
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 800 -1000 ml broth of any kind
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare one large pot (or a dutch oven), well only need one for everything. Carefully separate 8–10 large outer leaves from the Savoy cabbage. Blanch them in boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes, until flexible. Drain, cool slightly, and trim down the thick central ribs. Save the remaining raw cabbage for the next recipe.
- Soak the torn bread in milk for 10 minutes, then gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion in 1 teaspoon of fat of your choice (I like to use olive oil) until soft. In a mixing bowl, combine the bread and sauteed onion with the ground meat, egg, mustard, and seasonings. Mix well.
- Place one portion of filling (about 3-4 tbsp) onto each cabbage leaf, fold in the sides, and roll tightly. Secure with one toothpick that goes through it. I usually make 8-10 rolls, and still have quite a bit of filling leftover, which is fine: we’ll mix it into the sauce later! Leave the rolls for now.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of your fat of choice in the same pot you sauteed the onion previously. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook it for 3–4 minutes, just to sear it a little. Add the remaining onion and cook until soft. Stir in the tomato paste, then the flour. Gradually add the broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the sauerkraut* and a bay leaf.
- Put the cabbage rolls into the pot. The liquid should reach at least halfway up the rolls (add more broth if needed). Cover and simmer for 45–60 minutes, until the filling reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Taste test the sauce and add more salt or pepper if you want to. Serve warm with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, or homemade bread dumplings!
Notes
- If you don’t have all the spices on hand (like marjoram or caraway seeds), you can use different ones. You can add a bit of nutmeg to deepen the umami flavor for example, and if you truly don't do anything other than some kind of all purpose seasoning, it will work too! Dijon mustard and tomato paste already add a lot of flavor.
- The reason why I always say you can use “fat of choice” is because we all have different preferences for cooking fat, and for this dish, no fat flavor will make or break this dish. Although butter or lard is the traditional choice for this one, I prefer to use olive oil for most of my cooking and baking, so I’m using it here too.
- *If you don’t have sauerkraut on hand, you can use the remaining Savoy cabbage, or even regular cabbage chopped up!
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Nutrition
Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
