Macedonian Stuffed Cabbage With Thick Avgolemono

This recipe is based on one from The Complete Book of Greek Cooking, the recipe club of Saint Paul’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Also known as Sarmades me Avgolemono, a traditional regional dish from the northern part of Greece. The long cooking time is necessary because of the pork filling. NOTE: Leftover steamed leaves can be frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap. To use, bring to room temperature.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

•  boiling water
• 3 -4  medium cabbage (about 40 cabbage leaves)
• 1 (16 ounce) can sauerkraut, drained
• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground pork
•  salt
•  pepper
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 3⁄4 cup  raw converted rice
• 2 -3  lemons, peeled and sliced

• THICK AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

• 3  eggs
• 1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2  cups  hot chicken stock

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully remove outer leaves from cabbage, keeping leaves from tearing. Parboil them about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander.
2. Place sauerkraut in bottom of Dutch oven. Tip: use a large pot and do not fill to the top. Layer a few cabbage leaves over the sauerkraut.
3. Thoroughly combine beef, pork, salt, pepper, onions, and rice. Carefully remove heavy center vein from steamed cabbage leaves and cut each leaf in half. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of meat mixture near cut end of leaf; fold over. Fold edges in toward center and roll up tightly. Repeat until you’ve used up all the meat mixture or the cabbage leaves. Place rolls in casserole with lemon slices between the layers. Cover with an inverted heavy plate to act as a weight. Add enough boiling water to cover rim of plate. Cover casserole, bring slowly to a boil, and simmer gently until liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.
4. After the rolls have cooked, prepare the sauce:
5. Beat eggs until frothy; add lemon juice. Gradually add hot stock, beating constantly. Pour into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.
6. To serve, place several rolls on each plate and spoon some cooked sauerkraut over them; top with Thick Avgolemono Sauce. Serve immediately.