Rolled Cabbage

Ingredients

2 pounds Kobe beef (ground)
1 medium onion (chopped fine)
1 large egg
½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 ½ – 4 tablespoons tonkatsu sauce (Japanese condiment) to taste
1 head cabbage
1 ½ – 2 cups chicken stock
Optional: 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or potato starch) mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

Mix beef, onion, egg, panko, salt, pepper and tonkatsu sauce lightly by hand. Core the head of cabbage and steam until just tender. After cabbage cools, pull apart by whole leaves (you may need to trim away thicker core pieces).

Make balls of the meat mixture, each about the size of a large egg. Fold and roll each meat ball into a single cabbage leaf and secure with a toothpick. Arrange rolls in a large pot. Add enough chicken stock to just barely cover cabbage rolls.

Cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. For gravy, make a slurry of cornstarch (or potato starch) and water and stir into simmering broth once rolls have been removed. Serve rolls with rice and gravy. Makes about 12 rolls.