Stuffed Cabbage + More St. Patrick’s Day Fare

Ingredients

for the sauce:
3 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 (28 oz) cans crusted tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sucanat or light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

for the filling:
2 1/2 lbs. organic, ground beef chuck
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 green cabbage

Instructions

for the sauce
• heat the coconut oil in a heavy duty saucepan.  add onions and cook over medium heat until translucent.
• add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  once boiled, turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered.  when done, set aside
for the filling:
• heat a large pot of water to boil.
• preheat oven to 350*
• cut out the core from the cabbage. when water boils, place whole cabbage in the pot for a few minutes.  remove the leaves, one by one with tongs.
• rest leaves on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. set aside.
• in  a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the filling (not the cabbage leaves).  add 1 cup of the sauce to the filling mixture.
• with a pairing knife, remove the triangular part of the cabbage leaf, going 1/3 the way up the leave.
• using 1/3 cup of filling, place it on each leaf, closest to the top of the leaf.  fold the top part over the filling, tucking the sides in as you roll.
• put about a cup of sauce on the bottom of a dutch oven.  place cabbage rolls, seem side down, over the sauce. when all is done, cover rolls with the remaining sauce.
• cover the dish and bake for 1 hour.
• serve hot.