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Sarma II

Cabbage leaves stuffed with bacon, onion, tomato soup, meats, rice, eggs, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce, baked slowly.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Beef and pork match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,690 recipes. Both carry 12-methyltridecanal, which smells tallowy, beefy. The science ↓

Sarma II

Time2 to 2-1/2

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the cabbage

  1. Remove imperfect outer leaves from cabbage heads and cut out center cores.

  2. Place cabbage in sink and pour boiling water over it.

  3. While cabbage softening, prepare stuffing.

Make the stuffing

  1. Saute chopped bacon and onion.

  2. Add half the tomato soup, salt, and pepper.

  3. Beat 2 eggs in a large bowl.

  4. Add paprika and Worcestershire sauce.

  5. Add ground meats.

  6. When thoroughly mixed, add bacon mixture and rice.

Roll and cook

  1. Separate cabbage leaves carefully and drain.

  2. Place a heaping tablespoon of stuffing at the end of a cabbage leaf and roll carefully; tuck ends in.

  3. Place rolls in layers in Dutch oven or heavy kettle.

  4. Chop small leaves and place on top.

  5. Pour remaining tomato soup over top and add enough water to cover rolls.

  6. Cook slowly for 2 to 2-1/2.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1100Calories
95 gProtein
44 gFat
76 gCarbs

Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Pork100g cooked242
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Ham100g cooked145
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Broccoli1 cup chopped (156g)55
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bacon1 slice cooked (8g)43
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Soupnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Beef + porktop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,690 recipes

    Shared aroma: 12-methyltridecanal (tallowy, beefy).

  2. Cabbage + peppertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,081 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Cabbage + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,001 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cabbage
Forms the leaf wrappers that hold the stuffing and become tender when softened in boiling water.
Ground beef
Provides the main meaty body and savory flavor of the stuffing.
Ground pork
Adds fat and richness, keeping the stuffing moist as it cooks.
Rice
Absorbs juices during slow cooking, giving the filling body and a soft texture.
Eggs
Bind the meat and rice mixture so the filling holds its shape inside the rolls.
Tomato soup
Adds acidity and sweetness and forms the tangy sauce the rolls simmer in.

The step that matters

Cook slowly with enough liquid to cover the rolls. Slow simmering lets the rice and meat cook through gently while the cabbage becomes tender. Rapid boiling can toughen the meat and split the leaves, and rolls exposed above the liquid can dry out.

Swap the cabbage

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, tomato, pepper, egg, sauce, beef, pork):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Potatofits better
  3. Chivefits better
  4. Cabbagethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, tomato, pepper, egg, sauce, beef, pork. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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