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With tongs pull leaves off cabbage head and gently immerse in cold water in a separate container. Reserve the cabbage water.
With a sharp thin knife shave the thick vein on each leaf so they will more easily roll.
You may prepare the cabbage a day or two ahead of time and store in a sealed bag or covered container in the fridge until ready to make the rolls.
In a large bowl mix together:
1 1/2 pound burger meat (hamburger or ground pork)
1 ½ c. cooked rice
2T fresh chopped parsley or 1 T dried parsley
1 small finely chopped onion
½ c crushed tomatoes
2 eggs
salt & pepper & garlic salt.
Mash it all together with your hands.
Put a couple Tbps. of the meat mix in center and roll up with sides flapped in so it's sealed.
Mix 2 c crushed tomatoes, 2 c tomato sauce, and 2 c or so of reserved cabbage water together. Put about 1 inch of this liquid in bottom of a casserole. Lay rolls down in sauce nice and snug next to each other, then cover with more sauce and crushed tomatoes. Put bacon on top if you have some, just for the flavor. Cover and bake at 325 for a few hours. Keep rolls covered with sauce. May add water to sauce to thin it out.
My Romanian friend, Beno Mann, taught me how to make these. Growing up in Pittsburgh PA, our ethnically diverse church congregation always had these at our potluck dinners. When I cook these now I feel like I am ten years old surrounded by the beloved women of my childhood, including Beno. My Hungarian friends, the Ventillas, eat them with sour cream. Mmmmm.
