# ISO  Help with Stuffed Cabbage



## terryc1 (Aug 20, 2013)

I have had a (problem?)situation arise the last few times making stuffed cabbage, in that the meat still looks pink after proper cooking(2-2 1/2 hrs.). am I doing something wrong? have eaten it and it is good! Thanks  Terry


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## Steve Kroll (Aug 20, 2013)

Difficult to tell. Is there any way you could post your recipe? That might provide more information.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 20, 2013)

Need to see your filling recipe.  If there is a lot of celery in it, this could account for the pink color, as celery has natural chemicals in it that stains the meat pink.

A favorite stuffing recipe for stuffed cabbage:
2 parts Ground Beef
1 part Italian sausage (I use Cudaghi Sausage, but it isn't widely available)
2 tsp. rubbed sage
1 minced onion
1/4 bread crumbs, or farina
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. coarse-grind black pepper
2 tbs, minced basil
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp. red (Cayenne) pepper

Sauce: - your favorite marinara sauce/w mushrooms (I love mushrooms)

Here's a mostly authentic Cudaghi Sausage recipe:
Ingredients:
*6 lb coarsely ground pork (Boston Butt is best) 
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs. Crushed red pepper
6 tbs.. Salt
1 1/2 tbs. fennel seed
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tbs. ground sage


Have the pork run through the grinder twice.  Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate for 3 hours.  Shape into eliptical patties for the famous Cudaghi Sandwich, where the patties are place into a hoagie roll, and topped with Mozzarella Cheese, and Marinara Sauce.  I like to combing the sausage with beef to make meatballs, meatloaf, and other such things.  Adn me, I often change the recipe, simply because I'm that kind of guy.

*



Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CarolPa (Aug 20, 2013)

terryc1 said:


> I have had a (problem?)situation arise the last few times making stuffed cabbage, in that the meat still looks pink after proper cooking(2-2 1/2 hrs.). am I doing something wrong? have eaten it and it is good! Thanks  Terry




Although I haven't seen this in a while, it could have something to do with products the stores use in the ground meat to make it look freshly ground longer.  For my filling I use only ground beef, rice, chopped parsley and season-all.  I bake mine in the oven or a big electric roaster with tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and saurkraut.  I bake it for 4 - 5 hours.  To keep the house from getting hot in the summer, I put the electric roaster on the  back porch and the whole neighborhood can smell it cooking.  I have occasionally had the meat still appear pink, but it's definately cooked.  I think it would be cooked after 2 1/2 hours.


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## Mad Cook (Aug 20, 2013)

terryc1 said:


> I have had a (problem?)situation arise the last few times making stuffed cabbage, in that the meat still looks pink after proper cooking(2-2 1/2 hrs.). am I doing something wrong? have eaten it and it is good! Thanks Terry


If you use bacon or sausage meat in the filling, the saltpetre in the curing mixture used in the manufacture of the bacon or sausage will keep the meat looking pink after cooking. Even a small amount of bacon in with ground meat will have this effect.


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## Mad Cook (Aug 20, 2013)

CarolPa said:


> Although I haven't seen this in a while, it could have something to do with _*products the stores use in the ground meat to make it look freshly ground longer*_.


I'm quite shocked at that. That sort of adulteration of food is not allowed in the UK. Supermarkets and cheap butchers often legally use red lighting over the display to make meat look better but you wouldn't see that in shops selling good quality meat. (One of my cousins is a local authority Meat Inspector)


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## CarolPa (Aug 21, 2013)

Mad Cook said:


> I'm quite shocked at that. That sort of adulteration of food is not allowed in the UK. Supermarkets and cheap butchers often legally use red lighting over the display to make meat look better but you wouldn't see that in shops selling good quality meat. (One of my cousins is a local authority Meat Inspector)



My cooked ground beef hasn't had that "still pink" look for a long long time, say 15 years or more.  And I never knew for a fact that the stores were adding something to the meat, but someone told me they were.  There is only 1 store in my neighborhood where I will buy ground beef.  Many times when I buy it elsewhere, it looks nice and red, but when I get it home, the inside portion is brown looking.  This store I buy it from is very busy and they are always bring out freshly ground meat to fill the case.  Their meat is always good.


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## Rocket_J_Dawg (Aug 23, 2013)

It could also be that almost all the beef sold in supermarkets is treated with Carbon Monoxide to keep it fresh looking.   Something called atmospheric packaging. We buy all our meat at a local organic farm and have never had it still looking pink after cooking.
Some Carbon Monoxide With Your Meat? | Care2 Healthy Living


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## CarolPa (Aug 23, 2013)

Rocket_J_Dawg said:


> It could also be that almost all the beef sold in supermarkets is treated with Carbon Monoxide to keep it fresh looking.   Something called atmospheric packaging. We buy all our meat at a local organic farm and have never had it still looking pink after cooking.
> Some Carbon Monoxide With Your Meat? | Care2 Healthy Living




Thanks!  I knew they did something, but I wasn't sure what.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 23, 2013)

Nothing to do with the filling, but a friend of mine used to put the head of cabbage in the freezer for 30 minutes. I can't remember if she blanched it first or not. Anyone else do that?


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## Addie (Aug 23, 2013)

On the Old "The French Chef" Julia showed a few ways to soften the cabbage leaves. Freezing the head was one of them. As the leave thaw out, the moisture softens them.


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