Originally Posted by Catherine Marie
My Ukrainian mom taught me how to make cabbage rolls but an Hungarian friend helped me tweak them so that they are even better. I like to cook mine in a large dutch oven. First I line the bottom of the pot with pieces of the discarded or small leaves. Then I layer them into the pot but on top of each layer, I place a heaping helping of sauerkraut. When I finish with each layer and have filled the pot, I pour in a large can of tomato juice. Enough so that I can see the juice come up the sides. Cover the pot, turn on the burner to low and then let them bubble and cook away.
This is the way our family makes them, too. I thought we were the only ones who made them with sauerkraut! When I was a kid, mom used a whole head of sour cabbage which you can't get any more. Maybe it's still available in Europe. We use a beef and pork combination, onions, garlic, rice, etc. Anyway, we layer the rolls with sauerkraut and the extra cabbage just like you described. We also add kielbasa pieces between each layer, and we don't use tomatoes. After the pot is filled with the cabbage rolls, kraut and kielbasa, we pour in a little water or beef broth and just let the whole thing cook as you described. When it's done, we thicken whatever juice is in the bottom of the pot with a little fat/flour roux (bacon drippings make it delicious) and mix it with the kraut. It's so good - my mouth is watering!