Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Beef and Pork Filling

Start by filling a large pot with water and adding a moderate amount of salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then carefully place the cabbage head into the pot. Cover it with a lid and continue to cook until the leaves are tender enough to be easily removed from the head, approximately 3 minutes. \nTake the cabbage out of the pot and let it sit for a while until the leaves have cooled down enough to handle, roughly 10 minutes.

Next, carefully extract 18 whole cabbage leaves from the head by cutting out any tough center ribs. Set these leaves aside for now.

Take the remaining cabbage and spread it evenly across the bottom of a casserole dish.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and cook until it's tender. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, cooked rice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until it's well combined.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Create small portions of the beef mixture, about 1/2 cup each. Place a portion onto a cabbage leaf and roll the leaf around it, tucking in the sides to create an envelope-like shape. Repeat this process with the remaining cabbage leaves and beef mixture.

Arrange the cabbage rolls in a layer over the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the condensed soup, tomato juice, and ketchup. Pour this mixture over the cabbage rolls and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake the casserole in the preheated oven until the cabbage is tender and the meat is cooked through, approximately 1 hour. Remove the foil for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking and check that an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius).