This is probably not the same as everyone ate as children, but it's simple. My mom (and me) made it without a recipe and we called it "Prockas":

Take 1 whole head of cabbage and plunge into boiling water to loosen and soften the leaves. Separate the leaves (I have noticed that the leaves of cabbages have thicker, stiffer veins now, I trim the thick parts off). Keep the middle part whole.

Mix 1/2 - 1 lb ground beef with either a slice of bread soaked in milk and squeezed out OR about 1/2 cup of uncooked rice. Add salt and pepper, about a tablespoon of ketchup, about 1/2 tsp prepared mustard. Knead lightly to combine.

Place a tablespoon of meat mixture onto each leaf and roll up, tucking the sides in as you roll.

Slice up the leftover cabbage (leaves or the center of the cabbage) and slice equal amount of onions (about 2 large?). Place in the bottom of a large pot. Put the meat and cabbage rolls on top, then pour in a large can of chopped stewed tomatoes (or more to cover). Season with salt, pepper, brown sugar and something acidic (my mom used sour salt, I use lemon juice) to taste. Cover and cook on medium low heat until the cabbage is soft and meat is cooked, if there is too much liquid, remove the lid. As my mother said "Takes many hours and much cooking".

My sister hated Prockas and my DH is not impressed but I could eat them every week!

I don't know anything about this dish. But why not go to the library and check out a Polish cook book and read the recipes. You are sure to find something close to what you are looking for. This month I spent reading about Hungarian cooking from our library.

Sailsablazin, I make both of these all the time! a big pork loin with sauerkraut in the crock pot and that is it! served over mashed potatoes!! I think I will do that for tomorrow... Stuffed cabbage... oh my, I havent had that in a couple months... my mom makes hers in the pressure cooker! so good..

Made this for dinner tonight for my Groom. Made it how my Dad used to with sauerkraut and country style spare ribs (boiled on the stove). I don't recall him calling it anything but Sauerkraut and ribs. He always made Mashed Potatoes with it though. Was YUMMY!!!

lorli, that is my DH's family recipe but we add 1/4 cup apple vinegar to the water to boil the cabbage & kosher salt. That is truly a yummy dish. We sing Polish songs at church when we visit the auntie's in upstate NY, what a hoot, they would argue the pronunciations every time.

Could it be this recipe...made with ribs instead of Polish sausage? I found it in a book called "Treasured Polish Recipes". Easter Soup (Zurek Wielkanocny) 2 cups oatmeal, 2 cups warm water, crust of sour rye bread, Polish sausage & water, 1 Tbs horseradish, salt to taste. Mix oatmeal with water & add the bread. Let stand at least 24 hrs until it sours. Strain. Cook sausage in water for 1 hr. Remove sausage & skim the fat accumulated in the water. Add liquid to the oatmeal mixture. Mix in a Tbs of horseradish. Serve hot with slices of the Polish sausage and hard-cooked egg, boiled potatoes, or croutons. Serves 6.

Djmat:
What did your DH's family call it? I haven't found anyone else who calls it Prockas.

Sometimes I think my grandmother made up the name. English was not her first language and she couldnt read and write in any language but she still would write down phone messages in some unknown alphabet and half the time she couldn't read it either. I found it so frustrating when she lived with us, I was a teenager and you know how IMPORTANT telephone calls are at that age. She was an interesting character, God rest her soul.h


I make it a lot in the winter and it's good for when I am trying to diet (that's all the time, but without success) as there is no added fat and not that much brown sugar.

Coincidence, too, I live in upstate NY, where do you inlaws live? Did your DH grow up here?

I make a type of stuffed cabbage leaves except I don't stuff them, so much less work but taste the same, at least I think so. Instead of softening the cabbage leaves and rolling the meat stuffing up in the leaves, I just make meatballs-large size-, and then quarter the cabbage along with the core and just add both to the brazing liquid. Doesn't need to cook to long maybe a hour or a little longer, I don't time it. Just poke cabbage with a fork until it seems done. I serve it with mashed potatoes. You can also use green or any color peppers and make unstuffed peppers.

That sounds good, I'll try it! Softening the cabbage leaves can be time consuming.

Just to throw you all a little here- my mom's family was Hungarian-we made our stuffed cabbage and stuffed peppers with ground pork instead of beef. ground pork, rice, chopped onions, salt and pepper(no meas. just go by 'feel') roll up in steamed cabbage leaves(or hollowed out peppers). Place in soup kettle, cover with tomato juice and sauerkraut. simmer until done.