• 1 cup milk
• 4 slices bread
• 1 head cabbage
• 5 quarts water
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• Ample amount salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Method

Soak bread in milk.  Remove outer leaves from cabbage and cook in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes.  Remove and set in colander to drain.

While cabbage is boiling, mix together pork, butter, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Gently press excess milk from bread and break into pieces.  Add to pork mixture and mix well. Set aside.

Carefully separate leaves on cabbage.  Do not rip. Flatten tough vein on inside of the most outer leaves.  spread 4 layers of cheesecloth on a clean work surface or large plate.

Rebuild cabbage:  Put one large leaf in center.  Spread the remaining leaves in  a circle over the base leaf as if they were petals on a flower.  Be sure they come together at their base, then cover with another leaf.  Set about 10 leaves to the side.

Fill leaves with pork mixture.  Using the cheesecloth, bring leaves up to reform a head-like shape.  Cover this head with remaining leaves.  Tie firmly at top.

Bring 4 quarts water back to a boil and gently lower in the cabbage.  Cook at a strong simmer for one hour, carefully turning the cabbage during the cooking period.

Remove from water and put in colander to drain while still in cheesecloth.  When drained, refrigerate overnight.  When ready to serve, remove cheesecloth.

Serves: 6

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