This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Braised Cabbage is fairly cheap and easy. That’s probably why it’s a very typical meal for Ukrainian and Russian people. Oh and it’s fairly tasty too! We grew up on this stuff. This is my husband’s cousin’s recipe.
Thank you Angelina for sharing your culinary expertise! It is the same Angelina who shared her fabulous recipe for Easy Bread Kvas. The preparation of the cabbage is slightly different than the Russian Braised Cabbage with Pork that we posted last year. You can also use top sirloin beef in this recipe. The sirloin is better but chuck roast is a cheaper alternative.
Ingredients for Braised cabbage:
2 Medium Cabbage heads
1.5 – 2 lb of chuck roast beef, or top sirloin beef
2 Tbsp of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup of sauerkraut, well drained
3/4 of a 6oz can of tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
2 bay leaves
6 Tbsp of olive oil
How to Make Braised Cabbage With Beef:
1. Cut beef into small 1/2″ thick chunks, add steak seasoning, place it in a ziploc bag & leave it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Once the meat is marinated, thinly shred 1 cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large pot and cover it with boiling water. Let it stand for 30 min.
3. In the mean time shred the second head of cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large bowl. Drain 1 cup of sauerkraut and add it to a bowl as well.
4. After 30 min are up, drain the first cabbage and squeeze out excess water. Add it to the bowl with the rest of the cabbage. Mix well.
5. Preheat your skillet to high and add 2-3 Tbsp olive oil. Sear meat on high heat until it’s just browned. Use 2 pans to avoid overloading the pan. If you overload the pan it will cool down and the meat will juice out instead of searing. Add cooked meat to the bowl with cabbage.
6. Add 4 Tbsp of oil to the same large skillet used to cook meat and saute diced onion and grated carrots until soft (about 7-8 min).
7. Once onions and carrots are done, add 3/4 can of tomato paste, 2 Tbsp of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of water, 1 tsp of salt, 1.5 Tbsp of brown sugar and sprinkle with some black pepper. Mix well and let it cook for a few minutes.
8. Place cooked mixture into the bowl with cabbage and mix everything together.
9. Place mixture in to a Dutch Oven
Serve with bread. And a pickle (of course). What is it with our fascination with pickles and what Russian or Ukrainian person doesn’t have a can of pickles in the fridge at all times?
Braised Cabbage With Beef
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Cabbage heads
- 1.5 - 2 lb of chuck roast beef, or top sirloin beef
- 2-3 Tbsp of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 1 cup of sauerkraut, well drained
- 3/4 of a 6oz can of tomato paste
- 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp of pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 Tbsp of olive oil
Instructions
- Cut beef into small 1/2" thick chunks, add steak seasoning, place it in a plastic cealed bag & leave it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
- Once the meat is marinated, thinly shred 1 cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large pot and cover it with boiling water. Let it stand for 30 min.
- In the mean time shred the second head of cabbage (discard the core) and place it in a large bowl. Drain 1 cup of sauerkraut and add it to a bowl as well.
- After 30 min are up, drain the first cabbage and squeeze out excess water. Add it to the bowl with the rest of the cabbage. Mix well.
- Preheat your skillet to high and add 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Sear meat on high heat until it's just browned. Use 2 pans to avoid overloading the pan. If you overload the pan it will cool down and the meat will juice out instead of searing. Add cooked meat to the bowl with cabbage.
- Add 4 Tbsp of oil to the same large skillet used to cook meat and saute diced onion and grated carrots until soft (about 7-8 min).
- Once onions and carrots are done, add 3/4 can of tomato paste, 2 tbsp of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of water, 1 tsp of salt, 1.5 Tbsp of brown sugar and sprinkle with some black pepper. Mix well and let it cook for a few minutes.
- Place cooked mixture into the bowl with cabbage and mix everything together.
- Place mixture in to a Dutch Oven or large pot with tight fitting lid and add 2 bay leafs. Cook over medium heat for 25 min, stirring it a couple times. Switch heat to med/low and set a timer for 45 min, stirring it every 15 min. Remove from hear and serve with bread and a pickle.
My mother use to make cabbage rolls cooked on the stove in a big pot and cooked all day on low heat alternateing layers of sauerkraut and cabbage rolls.i would like to know if you have ever cooked this before (I know it had uncooked long grain rice & ground beef & eggs but thats all I remember as far as the rolls go but I think there was more ingredients in them) but i do know there was no tomato products in these and we had black eyed peas w/smoked hog jowls (seperate) but this is how we selebrated New Years I have searched all over and can not find anything like this 🙁 Thanks for your time.
Hi Carolyn, we do have a Cabbage Roll Casserole which might be similar but still doesn’t have sauerkraut. What you are describing sounds delicious though.
We love this recipe. I do it all in the Dutch oven and use only one head of cabbage since it’s just me and my kiddos. Love your recipes
Thank you, Alexandra! That’s great to hear.