Cabbage Rolls with Beef and Pork

Eight tender parcels for a warm shared meal

Soften the leaves, simmer the filling, and roll with confidence

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Cabbage rolls with beef and pork tuck a savory mixture of ground pork and ground beef into eight tender white cabbage leaves. Each leaf becomes its own neat parcel, so the baking dish is easy to portion: two rolls per person, with enough tomato sauce to spoon over the top.

Inside, onion, canned tomatoes, and long-grain rice simmer with herbs and seasoning before white cheddar cheese is folded through. The filling is partly cooked before rolling, which gives the rice time to absorb flavor and keeps the final oven step focused on bringing the parcels and sauce together.

Trim and briefly blanch whole leaves

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At the stovetop, bring a large heavy-bottomed pot of water to a boil and season it with salt. Use a chef’s knife on a cutting board to shave the thick center vein without cutting through the leaf. The goal is flexibility with the whole wrapper intact.

Blanch each leaf for 30 seconds, then lift it with kitchen tongs and lay it flat on a rimmed baking sheet. Let the leaves cool enough to handle. The brief dip softens the ribs without turning the broad green surfaces fragile or waterlogged.

Boil the separate tomato sauce

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Use a can opener and liquid measuring cup for the smooth tomato sauce. In a saucepan, combine it with the sugar and half the fresh oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat.

This separate sauce stays simple because the filling already contains meat, rice, tomato, and cheese. A brief boil dissolves the sugar and carries the oregano through the liquid. Set it within reach of the baking dish, but keep it off the hot burner so it does not reduce too far.

Simmer the rice filling under a lid

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Brown the two meats and onion in a covered large sauté pan, turning them with a wooden spoon. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the remaining fresh oregano, and water, then season with black pepper. Cover and give the rice its full 12-minute simmer.

If the cheese is in a block, use a box grater before stirring it into the warm filling. The mixture should be moist enough to scoop yet firm enough to stay inside a folded leaf. Let it cool for a moment if it is too hot to handle safely.

Roll, cover, and bake

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Use measuring cups and spoons to place about one-third cup filling near the base of each leaf. Fold the sides inward, then roll toward the open edge. Spread half the sauce in a large baking dish, arrange the parcels seam-side down, and spoon over the rest.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place the dish in the oven at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Wear oven mitts when moving the hot dish. Let the rolls stand briefly so the leaves and filling settle before you lift them through the sauce.

Serve two sauced rolls per person

For family and friends, place two rolls on each plate and spoon a little extra tomato sauce over their folded tops. The parcels already contain meat, rice, vegetables, and cheese, so a simple salad, roasted vegetable, or slice of bread is plenty beside them. At the table, the tidy shape gives everyone a clear portion while still feeling like a dish made to share from one warm pan. If someone is new to cabbage rolls, cut one across the middle so the layers are easy to see and the steam can escape. The gentle oregano tomato sauce keeps the filling familiar, and the soft leaf holds everything together for an unhurried forkful.

Tell us how the leaf folding went, or ask a question about keeping the rolls neatly closed. Leave a comment.