(Cabbage rolls, Piedmont-style - Traditional Italian recipes)

cabbage rolls made with minced beef, raw ham and aromatic herbs, baked

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12 large cabbage leaves
250 g (8 1/2 oz) beef
250 g (8 1/2 oz) raw ham in a piece
30 g (1 oz) dry bread
1 egg
200 ml (7 fl oz - 475 C) milk
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives
40 g (1 1/2 oz) fresh young onion
50 ml (2 fl oz - 1/5 C) white dry wine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons) if liked
Salt
Pepper, if liked

Time:
preparation: 30 minutes
cooking: about an hour
Difficulty:
easy recipe
Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: XX (kCal) - XX (kJ)
Protein: XX (g)
Total fat: XX (g)
Total carbohydrate: XX (g)
Sugars: XX (g)

If you have any roast beef left don't worry, this traditional Italian recipe is perfect!
Now we show step-by-step how to prepare cabbage rolls.

Soak the dry bread in the milk and then squeeze out any excess of milk.
Steam the cabbage leaves for few minutes until tender.
Grind the roast beef or buy ground beef.
Grind the raw ham.
Put the ham, beef, bread, onion, aromatic herbs and the egg, lightly beaten, in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and shape the mixture to 12 balls according to the size of the cabbage leaves.
Place every ball into the centre of each cabbage leaf. Roll the leaf around the filling and fold down the edges as you can see in the photo; fasten with a toothpick only if necessary.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Prepare a baking dish. Place the rolls in the pan and sprinkle the dry breadcrumbs and Parmesan on the top. Prepare a mixture with the olive oil and wine and spoon the rolls with it. Bake until the surface is golden (about 30 minutes or more). Add some tablespoons of vegetable stock only if necessary.
Serve the cabbage rolls warm.

Note

- This is our home cooking recipe as my mother was used to do. My mother was born in Piedmont and knew a lot of authentic recipes of this Italian region. Every family makes the cabbage rolls according to his taste.
- Other people use to add a garlic clove, chopped, to the mixture but we don't like garlic.
- Another version: tie the cabbage rolls with kitchen string and fry them in abundant olive oil. Serve them immediately. In this case you increase calories and fat very much.
- If you have any mixture left you can prepare meatballs. Fry them in a bit of olive oil.