Minced meat in vine leave rolls

The historical province of Bukovina, situated in the northeast of the Carpathian Mountains, is known for its breathtaking scenery and beautiful churches and fortified monasteries, as well as for its tasty cuisine. It is quite similar to the Moldavian one, but it also has Austrian influences, due to the Austrian occupation of 1775 — 1918.

Ștefan Baciu, 18.05.2014, 17:46

The historical province of Bukovina, situated in the northeast of the Carpathian Mountains, is known for its breathtaking scenery and beautiful churches and fortified monasteries, as well as for its tasty cuisine. It is quite similar to the Moldavian one, but it also has Austrian influences, due to the Austrian occupation of 1775 — 1918.

So today, we will teach you how to make minced meat in vine leaves rolls, the Bukovinian way. For this you need vine leaves, which are usually prepared in spring or early summer.

To make the filling you will need: one kg of pork, 2 — 3 onions, tomato paste, a cupful of rice, black pepper, 2 — 3 bay leaves and 2 slices of bread soaked in water.

Mince the pork, the onion and the bread. Mix them and add the rice, pepper and salt to taste. Carve out the big leaf veins. If the leaves are too big, cut them in half. Add the filling in the middle and roll them. Then place each of these rolls in the middle of a cabbage leaf, and roll again.

Put the rolls into a pot, preferably a clay pot, pour water to cover and leave them in the oven for about 3 hours, at low flame. If necessary, you can add water or even white wine. Serve with sour cream and hot polenta.

Enjoy!