Enjoy Romania's second biggest export, after crime
The real Romanian heavyweight. Sour fermented cabbage leaves are wrapped around smoky pork and rice, then packed into a pot with smoked meat and tomato and simmered for hours until meltingly tender. It takes weeks of fermenting and a whole afternoon of rolling, but sarmale with sour cream and polenta is worth every day of the wait.
The challenge
- Difficult broth
- Exact temperature
- Collapsable structure
- 20+ ingredients
- Multiple days of cooking
- Overcooking danger
Romanian comfort food that demands patience and precision. You'll need to ferment whole cabbage heads in brine for weeks before you even start cooking, or risk the dish losing its signature tang. The sour cabbage leaves get stuffed, then rolled into tight parcels and layered in a pot with smoked meat, tomatoes, and more cabbage.
The fermented leaves tear easily, and each roll needs consistent tightness so they cook evenly during the multi-hour simmer. The pot requires careful monitoring to prevent burning while ensuring the rice absorbs just enough liquid and the meat stays tender.
Prep: 2-3 weeks fermenting, then 1 hour 30 minutes Β Β·Β Cook: 3 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the sour cabbage (start 2-3 weeks ahead)
- 2 medium white cabbages, about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) each
- 60 g (about 4 tbsp) coarse non-iodised salt per litre (4 cups) of water
- 1 piece horseradish root, a few dill stalks and 1 tsp black peppercorns
For the filling
- 500 g (1.1 lb) minced pork (with fat) and 250 g (9 oz) minced beef
- 100 g (3.5 oz) smoked bacon, very finely chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped, and 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 80 g (scant 1/2 cup) short-grain rice, rinsed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp sweet paprika and 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 small bunch dill, chopped, and 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the pot
- 400 g (14 oz) smoked pork ribs or hock, cut into pieces
- 500 ml (2 cups) tomato passata
- 3 bay leaves and a few dill sprigs
- About 750 ml (3 cups) water mixed with a splash of cabbage brine
To serve
- Sour cream, hot chillies and soft polenta (mΔmΔligΔ)
Method
- Ferment the cabbageCut out the core of each cabbage in a deep cone and fill the hole with salt. Pack the heads, core up, into a large clean bucket or crock with the horseradish, dill and peppercorns. Dissolve 60 g salt per litre of water and pour over to cover completely, weighing the cabbages down with a plate. Leave at 18-20Β°C (64-68Β°F) for 2-3 weeks, pouring off and returning the brine every few days to keep it moving. The leaves are ready when they are pliable, translucent and pleasantly sour. (Short on time? Buy a whole pickled cabbage head from an Eastern European shop.)
- Prepare the leavesSeparate the leaves carefully, as they tear easily. Taste one; if it's very salty, soak the leaves in cold water for 1-2 hours. Shave down the thick central rib with a small knife so the leaves roll flat, and cut very large leaves in half. Finely shred the small inner leaves and any torn ones for the pot.
- Make the fillingHeat the oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 8 minutes until soft. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes, then cool. Mix with the pork, beef, bacon, tomato paste, both paprikas, thyme, dill and pepper. Go easy on salt, as the cabbage and bacon bring plenty. Fry a teaspoon to taste and adjust.
- Roll tight parcelsLay a leaf rib-side down, put about 40 g (a heaped tablespoon) of filling at the base, fold the bottom up, fold in the sides and roll tightly. Push the open end in with your finger to lock it. Don't overstuff: the rice swells and loose or overfull rolls burst.
- Layer the potSpread half the shredded cabbage in the bottom of a large heavy casserole. Arrange the rolls snugly, seam-side down, in layers, tucking pieces of smoked meat, bay leaves and dill sprigs between them. Cover with the rest of the shredded cabbage.
- Add the liquidMix the passata with the water and brine and pour over until the rolls are just covered. Weigh down with a heatproof plate so the rolls stay tight and don't unroll.
- Simmer low and slowBring to a bare simmer on the stove (small bubbles, never a boil), cover and transfer to the oven at 160Β°C (325Β°F) for 3 hours. Check every hour and add a little hot water if the liquid drops below the top layer, so the bottom never catches.
- Rest (ideally overnight)Turn off the oven and leave the pot inside for 30 minutes. Sarmale are famously better the next day: cool, refrigerate and reheat gently, covered, at 150Β°C (300Β°F) for 45 minutes, or over low heat on the stove.
- ServeServe 4-5 rolls each with a spoon of the smoky tomato juices, a big dollop of sour cream, a hot chilli and soft polenta on the side.
- Smuggle out the leftoversPack the extra rolls into containers and hand them out as your guests leave. Insist, the way every Romanian grandmother does, that they take more than they can carry. Resistance is futile.
Tips from the trenches
- Keep the brine fully covering the cabbage while fermenting. Exposed leaves can go mouldy; skim off any white film on the surface.
- A tight, consistent roll is everything. Uneven rolls cook unevenly and the loose ones collapse.
- Keep the heat low. A boil splits the rolls and turns the rice to mush; a gentle oven simmer is the safest option.
- Use the plate trick. Weighing the rolls down keeps the structure intact through hours of cooking.
βCooking demands attention, patience, and above all, a respect for the gifts of the earth. It is a form of worship, a way of giving thanks.ββ Judith B. Jones
