Sarmale, Photo: Inquam Photos / George Călin
Traditional sarmales are made in either sauerkraut leaves or vine leaves, and are a favorite for the Christmas table. As every year, housewives look for the recipe that will put the tastiest sarmals on the festive table.
Sauerkraut, pork, rice, onions and spices must not be missing from the traditional sarmal recipe. Below is a traditional sarmale recipe for the Christmas table, along with all the necessary ingredients and how to prepare it:
Traditional sarmale recipe
ingredients
- a kilogram of minced pork;
- 2 sauerkraut;
- 150 grams of rice;
- 5 onions;
- 400 ml of broth;
- 4-5 bay leaves;
- 250 grams of smoked meat (ribs, kaiser, ciolan or even fresh smoked sausage);
- salt, pepper, thyme – to taste.
Method of preparation
The first step is to unfold the cabbage leaves and portion them equally for the sarmales. At the same time, chop a few leaves of sauerkraut to place later on the bottom of the pot in which the sarmales will boil.
Once you've taken care of the cabbage leaves, it's time to prepare the filling. In a large bowl, mix the minced meat with the rice, chopped onion and spices: salt, pepper and thyme, to taste.
Once you've seasoned the filling, it's time to fold the sarmales. Take a sheet of cabbage, place it in the palm of your hand, then take an amount of filling (about a tablespoon), put it in the middle of the sheet and fold it. Do this until you have folded all the sarmals.
Now, at the bottom of the pot in which you are going to boil the sarmales, put the cabbage that you chopped at the beginning, together with a spoonful or two of the amount of broth. Then place the sarmales in the dish.
Between the wires, put the pieces of the smoked meat you bought. After placing the sarmales, cover them with a few cabbage leaves. Then, fill the pot with water until it covers the food. A little trick: finely chop an onion and brown it in a little oil with the rest of the broth, then pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
Simmer for about three to four hours on low to medium heat. You can check from time to time if the sarmales are cooked. After they have boiled, put them in the oven preheated to 180 degrees for another 30 minutes.
