No, I am not trying to insult large partners in a blanket! I am talking about Stuffed Cabbages! Every hunter, with packs of wild game grind, needs to try this classic recipe. This Slavic dish cooks up easily at camp or at home.

The Skipjack Hunting Club once had a member named Skip Schaekel. Not only could he cook, but he was also the loudest snorer on the planet. Skip had his own outdoor camper, all to himself. Everyone tolerated Skips loud snoring because of his wonderful meals. This Halupke, or Stuffed Cabbages recipe is one of them. He would make them ahead of time and bring them to camp in a huge crock pot. When plugged in and simmering, the whole camp smelled delicious. See what you think!

Skips Halupke’s!!!

Filling   

1 Lb. of ground meat., 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water,1 tbsp. of bacon grease/shortening, salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the rice, grease, and water together. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the ground meat and mix/simmer until the meat loses color/ redness. Salt and pepper.

Cabbage

Cut a notch/ core in the bottom of the cabbage head. You need to go in enough to allow the leaves to separate easily. Boil the whole head in water. Peel the blanched leaves away from the head and set aside. Do not overcook the cabbage. Cook just enough to allow you to separate the leaves and make them pliable.

Build the Cabbage wraps

Use a spoon to scoop enough filling to fit in the different sized leaves. Fold in the ends and wrap the rolls. You can toothpick them together or simply lay them carefully into a baking dish or Dutch oven. If you have a few huge leaves, you can cut them down to the size you need. Try to make the cabbage rolls similar in size. Do not over fill the rolls. Lay the rolls into the dish fold/ seam side up. Tuck or stack the rolls over the whole bottom.

Sauce

This simple sauce is great. Use a 16 oz. can of Tomato Soup. Add ½ cup of water and 1 cup of sour cream. Mix and pour atop the rolls. All the rolls should be covered. You can also make the sauce spicey with some Worcestershire or hot sauce. You can also add onion, parsley, garlic, or flavors that you prefer. Honestly, simpler is tastier and most preferred.

An alternative sauce can be made from ¼ cup of cider vinegar, ½ cup of brown sugar, 1 can of tomato sauce, and a can of beer. This sauce is tasty but not as smooth and creamy as the Tomato soup sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours. Cover with foil, or a Dutch Oven lid, to keep moist. You can remove the cover for the last 15 minutes. This will allow the top to brown and smell up the house or camp. Serve with French Bread or rolls. There will be no leftovers.

This special recipe has been taste tested by many hungry hunters, fishermen, and Boy Scouts.

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, find him cooking at www.montanagrantfishing.com.