Gramma's Cabbage Rolls

Gramma's Cabbage Rolls

1 head cabbage

6 serving size of long grain white rice, prepared and cooled

1 onion finely chopped

2 tbsp bacon grease or olive oil

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 large can of tomato juice 

Salt

Pepper

Cut out cabbage core. Fill bottom of large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add cabbage and boil covered until leaves come away from the center. As leaves come away place them in a strainer and continue boiling cabbage and removing leaves until all leaves have been removed. 

Cut out the hard center vein of each leaf and cut each leaf into 3 pieces. 

Save outside large leaves for later. 

I prefer to quarter the cabbage and remove the core and steam the cabbage quarters individually to loosen the leavers - works better for me but there does tend to be more waste of the cabbage this way. 

Heat bacon grease or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sautée onion until softened. 

Add onions to cooled rice in a large mixing bowl along with ground beef, pork, salt and pepper. Mix well. 

Place a spoonful of mixture in cabbage leaf and roll, placing each roll in a casserole dish or baking pan. The amount of mixture for each leaf depends on the size of your cut cabbage leaves. 

Once finished pour tomato juice over cabbage rolls, making sure even coverage. Cover with a layer of saved outside leaves. 

Bake in a 300 degree oven for approximately 2 hours. Discard layer of leaves placed on top for cooking and serve.