Whole Stuffed Cabbage

Serves: 6
Total Time: 2 1/4 hours

    1 16-ounce bag carrots
    1 8-ounce package mushrooms
    1 medium-size onion
    1 head Savoy cabbage (about 4
    pounds)
    Olive or salad oil
    Salt
    1/2 pound ground beef
    1 15 1/4- to 19-ounce can red kidney beans, drained
    1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes
    1 13 3/4- to 14 1/2-ounce can beef broth
    1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Peel and cut carrots into 1-inch chunks. Chop mushrooms and
onion. Discard any tough outer leaves from cabbage, then carefully
remove 2 large leaves; set aside. Cut out stem and center of
cabbage, leaving a 1-inch shell. Discard stem; dice cutout
cabbage (you should have about 4 cups).

2. In 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, in 2 tablespoons
hot olive or salad oil, cook mushrooms, onion, 2 cups diced
cabbage, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, until vegetables begin to brown;
stir in 1/2 cup water. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat
to medium-low; cover and cook until cabbage is tender. Remove
vegetable mixture to bowl; set aside.

3. In same Dutch oven over medium-high heat, in 1 tablespoon hot
olive or salad oil, cook ground beef and 1/2 teaspoon salt until
meat is browned and no pink remains. Add ground beef to
vegetables in bowl; stir in kidney beans.

4. Fill cabbage shell with beef mixture. Cover opening with
reserved cabbage leaves; tie with clean string. Into same Dutch
oven, over medium-high heat, add stewed tomatoes, beef broth,
soy sauce, carrots, remaining diced cabbage, and 2 1/2 cups
water. Place stuffed cabbage, stem-end down, in tomato sauce;
over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and
simmer until cabbage is tender, about 1 1/2 hours, basting
cabbage with tomato sauce occasionally.

5. To serve, place cabbage in deep platter; discard string. Spoon
sauce and vegetables around cabbage. Cut cabbage into wedges
to serve.