Prep Time: 1 hours
Cook Time: 11 hours
Ingredients:
- A head of brined cabbage (see below)
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
- 1 pound (450 g) ground pork
- 2/3 pound (300 g) smoked pancetta or cured lard (if you cannot find smoked pancetta I would use unsmoked), diced
- 4-6 sausages, ideally flavorful ones (but not spicy), casings removed and meat crumbled
- An egg, beaten
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- A large onion, minced
- Half a carrot and a small celery stalk, minced (optional)
- A small bunch of parsley, minced
- A grating of fresh nutmeg
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Sauerkraut (she doesn't say how much, but I would guess a cup)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs steeped in hot milk and drained (optional; they should be moist but not dripping)
- The juice of a lemon
Preparation:
Traditionally these are made by stuffing leaves of brined cabbage, but since it is no longer easy to find, you can make do by boiling a head of cabbage for about 10 minutes in a mixture of water and vinegar, and, as the leaves soften, gently peeling them way, cutting them free, and laying them flat. It's important that they not tear, so be gentle.The leaves will be filled with a stuffing prepared as follows: Sauté the onion and the garlic in a pot, adding the celery and carrot if you chose to include them. Once the onion has become golden add the ground beef and pork, and a third of the diced pancetta. Cook, stirring, until the meat has browned, then remove it from the burner, and once it has cooled slightly stir in the egg, a pinch of nutmeg, and the breadcrumbs if you choose to include them.
Lay out the first cabbage leaf, flattening the ribs with a meat pounder if need be, put an ample tablespoon of filling on the broadest part of the leaf, and roll it up; repeat the procedure with the next leaf and continue until you have finished the stuffing. You should have some leaves left over; take a pot (in the past they used terracotta, but non-stick will be fine), oil it well, and line it with the leftover cabbage leaves. Next, put in the stuffed leaves, which should be tightly packed, and sprinkle them with the remaining pancetta, the sauerkraut, and the crumbled sausages.
When you have finished making the layers add water to cover, cover the pot, and simmer the dish over a very low flame for 8-10 hours. They should never be stirred, but you should give the pot a good shake every now and again, and add a little liquid if need be, lest the rambascìci dry out and burn. Come time to serve them, squeeze a lemon over them and serve them hot with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.
A note: In some areas of Dalmatia these are called Sarme, and are made with rice -- about a cup -- instead of breadcrumbs.
