Sarma (Sour Cabbage Rolls)

Sarma is not a weeknight dinner. It's a project. It's the dish you make when family is coming, when it's cold outside, and when you want the house to smell like something worth coming home to for the next four hours.

My grandmother made sarma with sour cabbage she fermented herself in a barrel in the basement. I buy mine from a Bosnian grocery on the north side of Chicago. The fermented leaves give the whole dish this tangy, savory backbone that sweet cabbage can't touch.

Ingredients

The Filling

• 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
• 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg

The Roll

• 1 head fermented sour cabbage (kiseli kupus)
• Extra sour cabbage leaves for lining the pot

The Braise

• 1 lb smoked beef ribs or smoked pork neck
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Water as needed

The Cook

Prep the Cabbage

Carefully peel leaves from the sour cabbage head. You want them whole. Rinse each leaf briefly under cold water to cut some of the salt, but don't wash away the funk. That's the flavor. Shave down the thick center rib of each leaf with a knife so it rolls flat.

Make the Filling

Mix the beef, uncooked rice, grated onion, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and egg. The rice is raw. It cooks inside the rolls during the braise, absorbing all that liquid and flavor. Don't skip this. Cooked rice turns to mush.

Roll

Place about 2 tablespoons of filling at the base of each leaf. Fold the sides in, then roll tight, like a burrito. Not too tight or the rice has nowhere to expand. Not too loose or they fall apart.

Build the Pot

Line the bottom of a heavy Dutch oven with torn or broken cabbage leaves. This prevents sticking and adds more sour flavor to the broth. Nestle the rolls seam-side down in tight concentric circles. Layer them. Tuck the smoked meat between the rolls.

Dissolve the tomato paste in the beef stock and pour it over. Add water until the liquid just covers the top layer.

Braise

Bring to a simmer on the stove, then cover and cook on low heat for 3 to 3.5 hours. Don't rush this. The rice needs time to cook inside the rolls, the cabbage needs to get silky, and the smoked meat needs to break down and perfume everything.

Check the liquid level every hour. Add water if it drops below the rolls.

Serve

Sarma is better the next day. If you can make it ahead, do. Reheat slowly. Serve with crusty bread and sour cream on the side. The broth in the pot is liquid gold. Spoon it over everything.