You say Stuffed Cabbage... I say Pigs in a Blanket- Phfft.. It's all about the soup, really.

     Back (and sadly, I really do mean Baaaccckkk!) in the day, when I was learning about cooking from my Mom and Grandma, we had a dish that was to die for- Pigs in a Blanket.  It would take the most of the day- and some second degree burns to create this heavenly food.  The pork and ground beef with spices and rice were rolled into balls, then scalding hot steamed cabbage leaves were wrapped around the outside, placed in a large stock pot and left to simmer for hours.  When we sat down the eat, each bundle was cut open, and scandalously, a butter tab was melted into it, some cider vinegar and salt and pepper.  It was to die for...OMG- we ate them til they were coming out of our ears, AND they got better the next day.  So much work though, so we only got them once or twice a year- and we rejoiced like it was a holiday!
     Fast forward about 20 years, I am sitting at my wedding rehearsal dinner- and talk starts about "pigs in a blanket".  When I gush on about how much my family loves them... well, there were some looks.  Come to find out- the rest of the world calls them "stuffed cabbages" ( how un-inventive is THAT!) and apparently thinks that "pigs in a blanket" are *gasp* little cocktail wieners rolled up in refrigerated dough!  Plus they add tomato sauce to the equation... unheard of!
     What does this have to do with the soup?.... Well little really. :)  Just goes to show what you may call a potato, I call a potatoe!
      As I was really honing in the cooking skills about 10 years ago.  I had a great soup that was based on stuffed peppers.  I loved it and it started me thinking about the last time I had had "pigs in the blanket"- and it was a really, really long time.  So I started out to remake this dish in an easier, more convenient manner.  It took some time- and a LOT of convincing to get my Hubby to eat cooked cabbage... LOL, but now I have a recipe that the co-workers will start asking for every 6 months or so.  Then they eat until they are groaning- it is that good!  And I have to bring it into work- if it sits in my refrigerator- I eat it until I am literally stuffed, myself.
    So here goes my version of this soup- simple and designed to let the flavors come through- the longer it cooks, the better- and it is even better the second day. And yes, as you read through this, I caved to the tomato-sauce-on-the-cabbage-loving world thought, and I have admit it is a better taste!

Unstuffed Pigs in the Blanket Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 roll pork sausage
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cup of diced carrots ( I use the baby ones and slice them into three pieces of round)
6 cups of chicken stock- (I use 8 tbsp. of stock base and add to 6 cups water)
salt and pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes , the 28 oz or so one
I small can of tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 head cabbage, cut into shreds
1 1/2 cups rice (regular if I have lots of time- instant brown if not)

You can make this in a soup pot or in a crock pot. I will give pointers to both versions in the instructions.
1. Crumble the ground beef and the pork sausage in a fry pan, and cook thoroughly- crumbling the meats as they cook. When all brown all the way through, remove the meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon reserving some of those good juices.
2. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the pan drippings. Saute the diced onion, minced garlic,
 and diced carrots for about 5 minutes, until onion is cooked.
3. Transfer the meat and the vegetable mixture to either a soup pot or a crockpot.  Add the stock, a couple of twists of pepper, the bay leaves, sugar, lemon juice, and cabbage, and the tomatoes.
4. If using a crockpot, put on high and let cook for about 4 hours, the cabbage should be wilted pretty well but not mushy. If I am using regular rice- I add it at the 3 hour time, then let it cook 2 more hours. Instant brown rice- I add that the 4 1/2 hour time- it cooks in 30 mins.
5. If using a soup pot, bring the soup to a boil , then turn down to a simmer, and let it simmer away for about an hour.  Then I add the regular rice, and simmer for another 45 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. If I use instant rice, then I simmer for 1 hour 45 mins and add the rice- let it simmer for 10 mins or so- until done.
6. Remember to adjust your seasonings at various times through out the cooking time- taste a little and add more salt and pepper if needed.
7. Serve!

And wait for the compliments!  I will admit that I still add the gulg of vinegar that I grew up loving to my bowl of soup.  My hubby (and, it seems, most of the whole rest of the world) do not share my love of vinegar!  That is yet another blog post! I do however, skip the butter. :)

So that is it!   Here is a picture of yesterday's soup.  There wasn't more than a bowlful left when I left work- and I had my very helpful pal, Deborah, who graciously agreed to eat that!

Enjoy!

And- as always, Live peacefully. Cook fearlessly.

Chris