Sweet and Sour Cabbage Blini

Ingredients

• 1.cabbage, 2–3 large heads; leaves to be separated
• 2.1 kilogram beef mince, lean; 2 lbs
• 3.2 carrots, for filling — minced/processed with meat
• 4.1 potato, for filling — minced/processed with meat
• 5.1 onion, for filling — minced/processed with meat
• 6.1 garlic, for filling
• 7.1.5 ml black pepper, ½ teaspoon; for filling
• 8.125 ml water, iced; ½ cup; for filling
• 9.oil, for filling; amount unspecified
• 10.2 onions, large, sliced; for sauce
• 11.500 gram tomatoes, ripe, skinned, seeded and sliced; 1 lb; for sauce
• 12.440 gram canned tomatoes, with juice; 16 oz; for sauce
• 13.2 carrots, sliced; for sauce
• 14.750 ml beef stock, 3 cups; for sauce
• 15.200 ml golden syrup, ¾ cup; for sauce
• 16.225 gram tomato puree, canned; 7½ oz; for sauce
• 17.150 ml lemon juice, 4 fluid oz; or less; for sauce
• 18.8 ml salt, 1 heaped teaspoon; for sauce
• 19.1.5 ml black pepper, ½ teaspoon; for sauce

Method

1. 1.TO PREPARE THE LEAVES: Cut out the core of the cabbage — this loosens the leaves and aids the cooking. Discard outer damaged leaves.
2. 2.Put the cabbages in a deep pot of boiling water. Cover with lid. Simmer until the leaves start to soften and separate. Watch carefully.
3. 3.Drain and cool in cold water. Separate each leaf and cut away the hard centre vein. This makes it easier to roll.
4. 4.TO PREPARE THE FILLING: Mince the beef together with the carrots, potato, onion and garlic through a meat mincer.
5. 5.Add the salt, pepper, oil and water. Beat together very well until light and fluffy.
6. 6.TO ASSEMBLE: Place a tablespoon of the meat mixture on the inside of each leaf.
7. 7.Fold over, then fold in the sides — like a blintze. Roll up securely and fasten with a toothpick.
8. 8.Place blini, side by side, seam down, in a large roasting pan.
9. 9.Put the sliced onion, sliced tomatoes, tin of tomatoes and its juice, and sliced carrots over the blini.
10. 10.Combine the stock, syrup, tomato puree, most of the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the blini.
11. 11.You can crumble an additional beef stock cube over all.
12. 12.TO COOK: Simmer gently on top of stove, lid on, for approximately 1 hour.
13. 13.Then place in a slow oven — 160°C (300°F) — for about 2–3 hours. Baste often.
14. 14.During baking, taste often. If too sweet, add more lemon juice. If too sour, add more syrup.
15. 15.Blini should be delicately brownish and soft.

Notes

• This dish freezes well.
• AN EASY WAY TO SEPARATE CABBAGE LEAVES: Wrap a cabbage in a plastic bag and place in the freezer for 2–3 days. Remove and allow to defrost in the fridge overnight. When defrosted, the leaves will be limp. Remove leaves carefully, lifting each one separately and cutting off at the stem. Leaves do not tear and come out large and whole this way. If necessary, blanch in boiling water to peel away the hard centre vein.
• The filling is put through a meat mincer/grinder with the vegetables, not just mixed by hand.
• A 'blintze' (blini) is a thin stuffed pancake — the cabbage leaf is rolled in a similar fashion.