Dominican Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Niños Envueltos) - Heritage Recipe, 43g Protein

Prepare the cabbage leaves. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Core the cabbage and carefully separate 12 large outer leaves. Boil the leaves in batches, 3-4 minutes each, until pliable and translucent. Transfer to a plate and pat dry.

Make the filling. In a bowl, combine ground beef, cauliflower rice (squeezed of any excess moisture), beaten egg, garlic, onion, sofrito, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix gently until just combined. Do not overwork.

Build the sauce. In a wide deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook 3 minutes. Add sofrito, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer 8 minutes until slightly thickened.

Roll and arrange. Place 3-4 tablespoons of filling in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in the sides, then roll tightly from the bottom up. Place seam-side down in the tomato sauce. Pack them snugly so they hold shape.

Simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 30-35 minutes, basting the tops with sauce halfway through. The rolls are done when the meat is fully cooked through and the cabbage is very tender.

Finish. Remove from heat. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.