Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Japanese Rolled Cabbage
日式椰菜卷
Recipe overview
Japanese Rolled Cabbage, Roru Kyabetsu, is a familiar yoshoku home braise. Soft intact cabbage leaves wrap a mixed ground-beef and pork filling and gently simmer in a light tomato broth. It remains a long oval roll with flowing light orange-red broth, not Chinese stuffed cabbage, napa rolls, spring rolls, meatball soup or borscht.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 8–10 intact leaves, washed individually arge cabbage (1.2–1.5 kilograms): at least
- 300 grams ground pork: fully thawed in the refrigerator and kept cold rams ground beef;
- 1 egg rams onion: finely diced, sautéed soft and fully cooled.
- 80 millilitres milk: soak first rams dry breadcrumbs and
- 2-centimetre pieces; optional 800 grams hot rice tomatoes (300 grams)
Filling seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg teaspoon salt
Onion cooking
- 1 tablespoon oil
Light tomato broth
- 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, up to 1/4 teaspoon salt after tasting millilitres unsalted chicken stock/water
02
Tools
- Blanching pot
- Nonstick skillet
- Spoon
- Spatula
- Separate raw and cooked tongs
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring tools
- Scale
- Knives
- Knives
- Colander
- Ladle
- Oven mitts
- Deep plates
- food thermometer
- food-safe gloves
- ladle
- oven mitts
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Step 1
Separate and wash 8–10 intact leaves; discard rotten, mouldy or badly torn leaves.
Step 2
Step 2
Blanch in batches 1–2 minutes until flexible but intact; drain and cool.
Step 3
Step 3
Inside up, shave the thick rib thinner without cutting through.
Step 4
Step 4
Fully thaw beef and pork in the refrigerator; check odour, slime, discoloration, liquid or icy core; never wash.
Step 5
Step 5
Sauté onion 5–7 minutes until translucent; spread on a clean plate to cool completely.
Step 6
Step 6
Soak breadcrumbs in milk 5 minutes; gently mix with meats, cooled onion, egg and seasonings until slightly sticky, not overworked.
Step 7
Step 7
Divide into eight 110–120 gram short ovals; refrigerate unused filling.
Step 8
Step 8
Put one portion in each leaf; roll once, fold sides in, finish a long oval and place seam-side down.
Step 9
Step 9
Pack eight rolls seam-side down in one layer, add tomato; pour broth, ketchup, soy and sugar to half–two-thirds height.
Step 10
Step 10
Bring to a gentle boil, cover and simmer medium-low about 20 minutes; do not boil hard or turn often.
Step 11
Step 11
Probe thickest filling from the side to at least 71°C; cabbage is soft but intact; salt only after tasting.
Step 12
Step 12
Turn off heat, cover and rest 5 minutes; serve two each with tomato, a little flowing broth and optional rice.
Common mistakes
- Avoid unwashed or overblanched leaves, unshaved or cut-through ribs, hot onion, dry breadcrumbs, overworked filling, uneven portions, loose or seam-up rolls, excess broth, vigorous boiling, frequent turning, judging doneness by cabbage alone, starch thickening, or leaving cooked food at room temperature.
Tips
Keep cabbage leaves flexible but intact, shave only the thick ribs, cool onion fully, mix filling only until slightly sticky, make eight equal rolls seam-side down, keep broth at half to two-thirds height, and rest covered for 5 minutes after the filling reaches 71°C.
