There's Something Powerful About "Comfort Food"
Growing up back east, I was the first of (eventually) five children in my family. My two next siblings came in rapid succession so I spent a lot of time with Grandma who lived a couple of blocks away. She was a widow, of German decent and had a passion for food, the more laborious the better.
She would spend countless hours preparing dishes and then serve me as though I were royalty. When it was time to eat she would sit at the opposite end of the table with just a cup of tea and watch me as I engulfed her creations. I'll never forget the fulfilled look on her face as she absorbed the pleasures that generated from my oohhh's and aahhh's.
Later on in life when I had become a chef I often spoke about my grandmother's influences and how even her Heinz ketchup tasted better than anyone's. It wasn't until I was about 35 years old that I realized that it really didn't have anything to do with the ketchup. It was the love and passion that radiated from her that made it taste that much better!
I am sure all of you reading this column have a similar story or memory. In today's crazy world perhaps we can all find comfort in reflecting on life's simple pleasures. After 2 1/2 years contributing to Bugle through Carnivore's Kitchen I would like to thank all my RMEF family for allowing me the opportunity to radiate my passion on these pages. Here is a RMEF version of grandma's love! Enjoy!
Grandma's Elk Stuffed Cabbage - Carnivore's Kitchen Style Recipe
Makes approximately 12-15 servings
Cabbage filling
- 3 lbs. ground elk (or elk sausage)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 3 tbsp fresh minced garlic (2 tbsp for the filling and 1 tbsp to be rubbed on the bottom of the roasting pan)
- 1 med onion, small diced
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
- 1 1/2 caraway seeds
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil (for the pan)
- 2 heads green cabbage, core removed and steamed in salted water until wilted
- 12-15 crushed juniper berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cans V8
Steam the cabbage until you can remove the individual leaves. Pull the leaves of the head and lay them out to cool. If the main vein that runs up the middle of each leaf is too thick trim it down to the thickness of the rest of the cabbage leaf. This will make rolling/folding easier.
Place all the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Take about 3/4 of a cup of the meat filling and place it in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in the two sides and then roll the cabbage to lock in the meat. Each cabbage should be the same size. The particular size doesn't matter, but to insure uniform cooking they should be the same size.
Continue to fill the cabbage leaves until the cabbage or the filling runs out. If you run out of cabbage and still have filling just finish that by making meatballs or stuff another type of vegetable like bell peppers or squash.
Then take a roasting pan that has at least 2-inch sides. Brush the bottom with olive oil and rub in the 1 tbsp of garlic. Line up all the stuffed cabbage and any remaining filling in whatever form you chose. Pour the V8 juice over the cabbage. If you don't have V8 you can always use a combination of tomato sauce and broth or stock.
V8 or tomato juice is one of those things that should always be on your shelf. It has saved me more times than I care to think about when you need a sauce in a pinch.
Sprinkle the juniper berries, bay leaves and some freshly ground pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated 365°F for about 1 hour and 30-45 minutes. Allow the cabbage to rest for 10 minutes before serving, or cool for later use. Items cooked in a sauce hold up very well in the freezer for up to six months.
This is the perfect hearty dish to take to hunting camp. It reheats relatively quickly, holds its moisture very well, eliminates odor-causing particles on your cloths and will make you look like you really know what you're doing in the kitchen. But most importantly your campmates will know they are loved.
