Golubtsi (Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls with Millet)
Submitted by kschaal
Traditional Ukrainian golubtsi cabbage rolls filled with millet, salt pork, sauteed carrots and onions, simmered in a sour cream and tomato sauce. Authentic Eastern European comfort food.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minGolubtsi are the cabbage rolls of Ukraine, and this version fills them with millet instead of the more common rice. The millet gets parboiled, strained, then mixed with chopped salt pork, sauteed carrots and onions, and bound with raw eggs before rolling.
The sour cream dressing is what makes these distinctly Ukrainian. Flour browned in butter gets mixed with tomato paste and sour cream, creating a tangy, rich sauce that’s poured over the rolls before they braise. That browned flour adds a nutty depth you won’t get from just mixing sour cream and tomato together cold.
Softening the cabbage leaves in boiling water and trimming the thick veins is a step that takes patience but makes rolling so much easier. The leaves need to be pliable enough to fold without cracking, and the trimmed veins keep the rolls from being lumpy.
Kitchen Tips
- Boil the whole cabbage head with the core removed; the outer leaves soften first and peel away easily
- Wash millet thoroughly before boiling; unwashed millet can taste bitter
- Roll tightly and tuck the ends in firmly so they hold together during braising
- The oven method (baking at low heat for an hour under the undiluted sour cream sauce) gives a richer, more caramelized result than stovetop
Variations
- Rice filling: Swap the millet for medium-grain rice if millet is hard to find
- Meatier version: Replace salt pork with ground pork and beef mixed 50/50
- Vegetarian: Skip the salt pork entirely and add extra sauteed mushrooms for umami
Ingredients
Directions
Pour boiling water over a head of cabbage with the stem removed.
Separate leaves from head and trim the veins.
Dice the onions and carrots fine (julienne will work on the carrots) and sauté until the onions are starting to brown.
Wash the millet well, cover with water and bring to a boil.
Strain and combine with chopped salt pork, carrot/onion mixture, peppers, salt and the raw eggs.
Mix thouroughly with your hands, then place portions of the mixture onto the cabbage leaves, roll tightly and tuck in the ends.
As you finish rolling the cabbage rolls, put them into a dutch oven, and add the sour cream dressing, boil thoroughly, strain, salt and serve.
Sour cream dressing: Brown the flour in the butter.
Add the tomato paste and the sour cream and some of the broth from the millet.
Alternative: Put cabbage rolls in a large baking pan, make the sour cream dressing without thinning it, cover the rolls and bake at 325℉ (160℃) for about an hour.
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