What is halupki and where does it come from?

Halupki are cabbage rolls filled with seasoned meat and rice, a traditional dish in Hungarian, Slovak, and Polish cuisines, often served as a main course or comfort food.

Do I need to pre-cook the cabbage leaves?

Yes, blanch whole cabbage heads in boiling water for 5–8 minutes to soften leaves before carefully peeling them away for rolling.

Why soak the rice before cooking?

Soaking rice for about one hour removes excess starch and helps it cook evenly and absorb flavors from the meat and sauce as the halupki braise.

Can I make halupki ahead and freeze them?

Yes, assemble halupki, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 15–20 minutes to cooking time.

What kind of sauce do these halupki need?

Traditional halupki are braised in a tomato-based sauce; use canned tomato soup, crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce mixed with beef broth, then bake until tender.

Authentic Hunky Halupki Recipe (Cabbage Rolls)

Name: Authentic Hunky Halupki Recipe (Cabbage Rolls)
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 6 h
Yield: 1 servings
Ingredients: 3 lbs ground beef (mix what you like, beef, veal, pork combo is best); 2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper (more than you probably think there should be); 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste); 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped; 4 eggs; 1 cup long grain rice (rinse and soak the rice for about one hour, cooking in the halupki will do the rest); 1 medium onion (finely chopped onion ); 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon garlic powder (to taste); 1/4 cup ketchup (optional); 1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup (optional); 1 quart sauerkraut (rinsed or not, depending how sour you like it); 2 medium onions, thickly sliced; 2 medium cabbage; 8 -10 bay leaves (laurel); 6 garlic cloves (coarsely chopped); 1 lb kielbasa; 1 teaspoon caraway seed; 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce; 2 (15 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, crush by hand (with liquid)

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Authentic Hunky Halupki Recipe (Cabbage Rolls) | CookOS

Instructions

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Method:.
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- Core and boil the cabbage heads.
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-- remove outer leaves as they become blanched -- do not over-cook.
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-- stack on cookie sheet as they come out of the water - they will continue to soften.
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-- cut thick vein from each leaf.
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- mix together your meat, drained rice, chopped onion, garlic powder, parsley, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and egg.
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-- to sweeten up the meat a bit, I add a good squirt of ketchup (there's only one brand - Heinz) and 1/2 can of tomato soup (you probably don't need this if you use pork - but at least try the ketchup).
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- fill your rolls and roll 'em up -- don't roll too tight - you will be able to tuck in the ends by pushing in with your little finger -- if they're rolled to tight, they'll explode in your hand -- or fold over the ends of the leaf when rolling sort of like a round burrito.
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-- it doesn't take long to do this -- have fun.
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Now for the artistry:.
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- Line the bottom of your roaster with bacon - roaster should be deep enough to add several layers and hold adequate liquid.
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- Top the bacon with a good layer of left-over cabbage leaves -- the ones too small to roll or ripped leaves.
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- layer with sauerkraut.
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- sprinkle a little caraway seeds.
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- layer with thickly sliced onion and chopped garlic.
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- add 6-10 bay leaves, depending on the amount.
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- layer the halupki - alternating direction of layers.
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-- incorporate 2 - 3 inch lengths of kielbasa throughout.
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- add remaining tomato soup if used.
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- add tomatoes and sauce.
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- salt and pepper.
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- add cabbage water to cover.
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Bake at 350 for one hour then reduce heat to 250 for three more hours.
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-- or reduce heat to 175-200 overnight - check to ensure enough liquid - don't dry them out.
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Serve with kick-ass mashed potatoes.
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- roast as much garlic as you would like in the potatoes.
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Cube potatoes and for best results add sea salt and refrigerate for a few hours.
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- rinse and drain potatoes, cover with water and lightly boil until soft.
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Mash together with butter, canned milk, cheddar/freshly grated Parmesan cheese, sea salt, white pepper, roasted garlic, jarred diced garlic, a little garlic powder, and grape seed oil.
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Now that's some good ol' Hunky eatin'!