WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Cabbage rolls stuffed with a seasoned beef filling and bathed in a light tomato sauce are serious comfort food. Sautéed onions and garlic provided a savory foundation for both sauce and filling and ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg added a warm spice flavor to the sauce. Tasters preferred brown sugar to white for its more complex flavor, and red wine vinegar to white for its mellow bite. We supplemented the beef filling with bratwurst, a mild German sausage, to boost the meaty flavor. A panade (paste) of milk and bread helped keep the filling soft and moist. If the tops of the cabbage rolls appear dry after the foil is removed in step 5, spoon some of the sauce over them before returning to the oven.

Serves 4

Total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head green cabbage (2 pounds), cored
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
• ½ cup milk
• 12 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef
• 12 ounces bratwurst, casings removed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Microwave cabbage in covered bowl until outer leaves are pliable and translucent, 3 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, carefully remove wilted outer leaves; set aside. Cover and repeat until you have 15 to 17 large, intact leaves.
3. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of onion mixture to small bowl; set aside.
4. Off heat, stir tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into pot with remaining onion mixture until sugar has dissolved.
5. Process bread and milk in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add reserved onion mixture, beef, bratwurst, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and pulse until well combined, about 10 pulses.
6. Working with 1 cabbage leaf at a time, cut along both sides of rib at base of leaf to form narrow triangle; remove rib. Continue cutting up center of leaf about 1 inch above triangle, then slightly overlap cut ends of cabbage. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of meat mixture on each leaf, about ½ inch from bottom of where cut ends overlap. Fold bottom of leaf over filling and fold in sides. Roll leaf tightly around filling. Repeat with remaining leaves and remaining filling.
7. Arrange rolls, seam side down, in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. (Unbaked rolls can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
8. Pour sauce over cabbage rolls, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until sauce is bubbling and rolls are heated through, about 45 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened and cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes.
10. Serve.