Filled Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 head Large head of cabbage
• 1/4 loaf Stale bread
• 1/2 cup Water (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 2 tablespoons Butter (or vegetable oil) (Originally drippings. Substituted with butter or vegetable oil for modern preference.)
• 1 large Onion
• 1 pound Ground beef
• 2 large Eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 1 teaspoon Salt (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 1 tablespoon Fresh parsley, chopped (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried sage (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 1 cup Water (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))

Instructions

1. 1Carefully remove the large outer leaves from the cabbage head, setting them aside. Hollow out the center of the cabbage, leaving the outer leaves intact. Finely chop the remaining cabbage for the filling.
2. 2Soak the stale bread in water until softened. Squeeze out as much water as possible, then set aside.
3. 3Heat the butter (or oil) in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squeezed bread, ground beef, and chopped cabbage. Cook, stirring, until the beef is browned and the cabbage is heated through.
4. 4Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the eggs, pepper, salt, nutmeg, parsley, and sage. Mix well to combine.
5. 5Fill the hollowed-out cabbage with the filling, using a little more cabbage than bread. Cover the filled cabbage with the reserved large leaves. Place the cabbage in a baking pan and add about 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 2 hours, or until the cabbage is tender. Do not baste.