• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • FAQS
  • Privacy Policy

Rants From My Crazy Kitchen logo

  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact Me/Work With Me!
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact Me/Work With Me!
  • Follow Me!

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    June 15, 2014

    Polish Coal Miner Piggies (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls- Golabki) #SundaySupper

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, also called piggies or Golabki, are made with a beef and pork filling wrapped in cabbage leaves and topped with bacon in a sweet tomato sauce. Man Food, post written and recipe by my husband!

    Piggies-Stuffed-Cabbage-Rolls

    Today's #SundaySupper topic is fitting for Father's Day, Man Food! I asked my husband what I should post, and what does he say? Not steak, not brats, not bacon. Nope, piggies, you know Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. Huh? "That's not man food!" I tell him, but he's dead set on it. Okay, fine, I tell him, "Then you can make them and write the post." He also took all of the photos except one.

    I have broken my own rule with this post, that I would never post anything I don't truly like to eat myself. I don't like cabbage, and I think the sauce he makes for these is too sweet (but you'll have to be the judge, he just says that's a difference in taste). Whenever he makes them, he makes me what he calls porcupine meatballs instead. I will eat those, so I guess it's more I just can't get over all that cabbage than I don't like them.

    I'll turn you over to my husband now, for his very first guest post for me, but before I go, don't forget to check out all of the other recipes that were shared today, listed below, and grab the printable version of the recipe for stuffed cabbage I have placed at the bottom of the post. Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas, step-dads, and soon-to-be dads!

    *************************************************************************************************************

    In Northeast PA, as the offspring of “coal crackers”, we normally call these cabbage rolls “piggies”.  Although, they are know by many names (golabki, golumpki, holubki, pigs in a blanket). There aren't many guys I know that don’t enjoy them.

    Polish lore has it that the strength derived from this hearty Polish golabki recipe helped King Casimir IV Jagiello’s (Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland) army defeat the Teutonic Order in a key battle of the Thirteen Years' War.

    As my heritage includes both Polish and Lithuanian (and some German from my Father’s side), these were always a meal I remember my Grandmother (on my Mother’s side) making and as a child, I was allowed to mix the meat.

    As for the “Coal Miner” part of the recipe name, my Grandfather was a coal miner in Ashley, PA and died from black lung before my parents were even married, my Grandmother passed when I was twelve.  Later in life, when I asked my Mother about the recipe for these, I was given the “some of this and some of that”shpiel without any real measurements.  Her and my Grandmother did a lot of their cooking by taste and feel.  So this recipe is inspired by my Grandmother’s piggies and has passed my Mother’s taste test.

    These are definitely a Sunday (or Saturday) meal as there is a fair amount of prep work involved (1 to 2 hours - depending how fast you are) but, to me it is worth it.

     

    Piggie-Ingredients

     

    Polish Coal Miner Piggies (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls- Golabki)

    You’ll need;

    1 head of cabbage (you’ll boil off 12 to 15 leaves - based upon the size of the head)

    1 ¾ lbs of ground beef

    ¾ lbs of ground pork

    1 tsp salt

    1 tsp pepper

    1 tsp garlic powder

    2 eggs

    1 cup minute rice (uncooked)

    2 large green peppers

    2 large onions (3 if they are smaller)

    3 stalks of celery

    2 16 oz cans of diced petite tomatoes

    32 oz tomato juice

    ½ cup sugar

    ¾ cup maple syrup

    6 to 7 slices of bacon (depending upon how many piggies you end up with)

     

    Remove the core (stem) from the head of cabbage with a long thin knife.

    Boil head until a leaf separates from the head and remove from the pot with tongs.

    Boiled-Cabbage

    Remove the thick stem from the back of leaf by cutting around it in a “V” shape, this will make it easier to roll the leaf around the meat.

    Cabbage-Leaf

     

    Repeat this process until you have 12 to 15 leaves.

    Shred remaining cabbage, this will be used later.

    In a mixing bowl, add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, eggs, and uncooked rice and mix.

    Mince the green peppers, onions and celery and mix together.

    Add about ½ to ¾ of the vegetable mixture to the meat mixture, add the rest to the shredded cabbage.

    Open the cans of diced tomatoes, place in a mixing bowl and mix in sugar.

    Prepare the pan by making a bed of the the cabbage/vegetable mixture.

    Here is the tricky part, making the stuffed cabbage rolls. It will take a little bit of “feel”, the rolls should be about the size of a fist or just smaller (depending upon the size of your fist and the size of the leaf).

    Make an elongated meatball and wrap in a cabbage leaf (place the meat at the bottom of the leaf, overlapping the slice that was made to remove the thick stem and roll about halfway (one turn), then tuck the edges of the leaf in and continue to tip of leaf). It is kind of like rolling a burrito but I think rolling the cabbage is easier -I tend to rip tortillas.

     

    Rolling-Piggies

     

    Place the roll place in the pan. Repeat for all leaves (remember measuring how much meat is in each leaf is based upon the size of the leaf - each one is an individual).

     

    Rolled-Piggies

     

    For those that aren't huge fans of cabbage, or if you run out of leaves, you can make a “naked piggies”.  Just make big meatballs and place them in the pan, my Mom calls these “porcupines”.  Another derivation would be stuffing the mix in green peppers.  You can mix and match however you like…

    Pour diced tomato mixture over the piggies.

    Add tomato juice to fill pans to just over halfway.

    Place bacon strips over piggies (one slice should cover two) and drizzle the maple syrup over the bacon.

    Cover pans with tin foil.

    Place in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

    Remove tin foil and cook for additional 15 minutes to brown bacon.

    Cooked-Piggies

    Plate and drizzle some of the juice and shredded cabbage over them.  These are usually served with bread (to mop up the juice) and mashed potatoes (also with some of the juice added over them - like gravy).  Smacznego!!! Skanaus!!!! I think this is truly the best cabbage roll recipe!

    Here are some more recipes with cabbage to try:

    Bacon Blue Cheese Cole Slaw

    Halushki with Bacon and Ricotta Cheese 

    Sriracha Slaw- Guest Post From It's A Keeper

    WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM MYSELF AND MY FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS? FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, OR FACEBOOK, WHERE I SHARE NEW RECIPES DAILY. YOU CAN ALSO SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL TO GET NEWLY POSTED RECIPES FOR FREE!

    Read on after the Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe to see all the other Man Food recipes shared today.

    Photo of a plate of two stuffed cabbage rolls with sauce on a flower trimmed white plate next to a glass of beer sitting on a wood table
    Print Recipe
    4.70 from 10 votes

    Polish Coal Miner Piggies (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls- Golabki) #SundaySupper

    Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, also called piggies or Golabki, are made with a beef and pork stuffing in a sweet tomato sauce. 
    Prep Time1 hr
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time2 hrs
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Polish/American
    Keyword: pigs in a blanket cabbage, Polish Cabbage rolls, polish stuffed cabbage
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 968kcal
    Author: Bernadette

    Ingredients

    • 1 head cabbage
    • 1 ¾ lbs ground beef
    • ¾ lbs ground pork
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup minute rice uncooked
    • 2 large green peppers
    • 2 large onions 3 if they are smaller
    • 3 stalks of celery
    • 2 16 oz cans of diced petite tomatoes
    • 32 oz tomato juice
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ¾ cup maple syrup
    • 6 to 7 slices of bacon

    Instructions

    • Remove the core (stem) from the head of cabbage with a long thin knife.Boil head until a leaf separates from the head and remove from the pot with tongs.
    • Remove the thick stem from the back of leaf by cutting around it in a “V” shape, repeat this process until you have 12 to 15 leaves.Shred remaining cabbage.
    • In a mixing bowl, add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, eggs, and uncooked rice and mix. Mince the green peppers, onions and celery and mix together. Add about ½ to ¾ of the vegetable mixture to the meat mixture, add the rest to the shredded cabbage. Pour the diced tomatoes into a bowl and stir in sugar. .
    • Prepare the pan by making a bed of the the cabbage/vegetable mixture.
    • Make an elongated meatball and wrap in a cabbage leaf (place the meat at the bottom of the leaf, overlapping the slice that was made to remove the thick stem and roll about halfway (one turn), then tuck the edges of the leaf in and continue to tip of leaf. Place the roll place in the pan. Repeat for all leaves (remember measuring how much meat is in each leaf is based upon the size of the leaf - each one is an individual).
    • Pour diced tomato mixture over the piggies.Add tomato juice to fill pans to just over halfway.
    • Place bacon strips over piggies (one slice should cover two) and drizzle the maple syrup over the bacon. Cover pans with tin foil.
    • Place in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove tin foil and cook for additional 15 minutes to brown bacon.
    • Plate and drizzle some of the juice and shredded cabbage over them. These are usually served with bread (to mop up the juice) and mashed potatoes (also with some of the juice added over them - like gravy).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 968kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 878mg | Potassium: 1761mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 1390IU | Vitamin C: 139.6mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 7.2mg

    Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in a sweet tomato sauce with a beef and pork stuffing. Man Food!

    Manly Starters:

    • BBQ Chicken Nacho by Country Girl in The Kitchen
    • Beer Battered Fried Mushrooms by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
    • Burrata Bresaola and Arugula Appetizer by Family Foodie
    • Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
    • Chipotle Pork Belly-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers by The Redhead Baker
    • Coconut Beer-Battered Prawns with Spicy Marmalade by The Wimpy Vegetarian
    • Devils on Horseback by Nosh My Way
    • Fried Pickles by Cookin’ Mimi
    • Garlic and Herb Wine Jelly by What Smells So Good?
    • Maple Sriracha Chicken Wings by Manu’s Menu
    • Tomato Bacon Jam by Feed Me, Seymour

    Manly Mains:

    • Bacon Bourbon BBQ Burgers by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
    • Bacon Cheeseburger Crustless Quiche by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
    • Beef Barbacoa by Casa de Crews
    • Beef Short Rib Sandwich by Life Tastes Good
    • Beer Brats with Pepper Relish by Jelly Toast
    • Beer Can Chicken by Curious Cuisiniere
    • Chili Dog Casserole by Simple Gourmet
    • Chipotle Pork Chops by girlichef
    • Coconut & Lime Grilled Shrimp Skewers by Take A Bite Out of Boca
    • Colossal Burger by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
    • Grilled Chipotle Chicken Pizza by Peaceful Cooking
    • Grilled Lobster with Miso Butter by Kimchi MOM
    • Grilled Sweet Guava Chicken by The Foodie Army Wife
    • Ham and Pineapple Pizza Pockets by gotta get baked
    • Huevos Rancheros Casserole by Pescetarian Journal
    • Lacquered Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker by Shockingly Delicious
    • Maple Chipotle Barbecue Pork Tenderloin by Flavor Mosaic
    • Meatball Burger on Garlic Bread by Healthy.Delicious.
    • Mom’s Slow Roasted Brisket by Food Lust People Love
    • Perfectly Pan Seared Steak by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
    • Pollo al Peperoncino by Run DMT
    • Red Chile Shredded Chicken Tacos. How to win over your man’s stomach and steal his heart. by Simply Healthy Family
    • Ropa Vieja by Meal Diva
    • Salt of the Earth Ribs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
    • Salisbury Steak w/ Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
    • Smoked Turkey Drumsticks by Cindy’s Recipes and Writing
    • Stuffed Chipotle Bacon Cheese Burgers by Peanut Butter and Peppers
    • Tex-Mex Gut Buster Chili by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
    • The Cleveland Hogg Burger by Seduction in the Kitchen

    Manly Desserts:

    • Beer Funnel Cake by Killer Bunnies, Inc.
    • Black Forest Cake by Noshing with the Nolands
    • Carob Chip Cookies by Pies and Plots
    • Chunky Monkey Vegan Banana Bread by Ninjabaking.com
    • Fat Man’s Pie by Magnolia Days
    • Pizookies by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
    • Grilled Pound Cake Stacks with Roasted Strawberries by Melanie Makes
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Pie With Mascarpone Cream by La Bella Vita Cucina

    Wine Pairings for Man Food #SundaySupper byENOFYLZ Wine Blog


    Sunday Supper Movement Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday!
    We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

    Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

     

    « Chocolate French Vanilla Coffee Cupcakes
    Minestrone Soup- Guest Post from Read At Home Mama »
    1119 shares
    • Facebook332
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy Hayduk says

      July 21, 2020 at 9:22 pm

      I was looking for a halupki recipe as my mother and mother in law never wrote their recipe down! Ha! I saw you were from Ashley, PA which is my hometown! Coal miner and railroad engineer were my grandfather’s life sustainments. Lots of cabbage recipes, I am trying yours out this week. Can’t wait!

      Reply
      • Matt Emerick says

        October 23, 2021 at 1:24 am

        3 stars
        My father had a pharmacy in Ashley, early 50’s until about 1970. Was on top of North Main until the building was bought bu Pat Guesto(might be spelled differently). He then moved to the bottom of the hill. I remember fondly-Peg’s Dinner, Frank’s Pizza, Bennies, white’s Hardeware and so much more. This recipe isn’t too bad just needs more flavor and not sure about the sugar. Making “piggies” this weekend with Grandma and Mom’s recipe!

        Reply
    2. Lori says

      December 20, 2015 at 9:03 am

      5 stars
      Hi! My parents are from the Carbondale area. Your post caught my eye because it said coal miner. My Grandfather was a coal miner, constable, and farmer. I grew up on golumpki as my Mother would make it all the time. I love it. Looks wonderful.

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        December 20, 2015 at 9:21 am

        Hi Lori! Thanks for visiting. My husband grew up on golumpki, and he loves it!

        Reply
    3. Don says

      July 30, 2014 at 5:36 pm

      Posting a comment.

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        July 30, 2014 at 6:25 pm

        Thanks, but not exactly a good comment on your post 😉

        Reply
    4. Renee says

      June 21, 2014 at 1:41 pm

      Okay now, where have these piggies been all my life? This is something I have to try and soon.

      Reply
    5. Cindys Recipes and Writings says

      June 18, 2014 at 9:32 pm

      Stuffed cabbage is one of my favorites! I never added bacon though, that's different! I remeber porcupines too made from extra "stuffing"!

      Reply
    6. Nancy @ gottagetbaked says

      June 18, 2014 at 6:05 pm

      Bernadette, I'm with you, girl. I'm not a fan of cabbage either but I'd eat the heck out of this yummy stuffing! I LOVE that you had your husband guest post on a dish that he wanted to eat this Father's Day. Plus I learned a lot about the history of this dish and of mining. Fabulous post all around, you two!

      Reply
    7. [email protected] Tastes Good says

      June 17, 2014 at 1:02 am

      We call them Pigs in a Blanket and love them! Great post and photos! The recipe looks similar to what we make too! (pinned)

      Reply
    8. Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says

      June 16, 2014 at 8:30 pm

      How sweet of him to write the post for you! I'm glad he had the meal he wanted! Yum!

      Reply
    9. Martin D. Redmond says

      June 16, 2014 at 3:49 pm

      I'm not a huge cabbage fan, but your dish looks tasty! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    10. Simply Gourmet says

      June 16, 2014 at 11:43 am

      What a great post. I enjoyed learning about these little piggies. Great job hubby!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 16, 2014 at 2:25 pm

        I thought he did a great job, too 🙂

        Reply
    11. Marlene @Nosh My Way says

      June 15, 2014 at 6:51 pm

      I never heard of stuffing the cabbage with ground pork. What an excellent dish and one that I will be trying soon.

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 9:01 pm

        I think my grandmother and mother just use ground beef, but I NEVER ate theirs. Every few years I would try a bite and say "Nope, still don't like them." My husbands (this recipe) is completely different, though.

        Reply
    12. Manu says

      June 15, 2014 at 6:45 pm

      Oh Becca! I love that your husband made these! They look really good! And the bacon on the top is a great idea!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 8:59 pm

        Thanks, but Becca is another blog 😉 LOL!!

        Reply
    13. Tara says

      June 15, 2014 at 6:10 pm

      5 stars
      I haven't made cabbage rolls for a long time and yours look like the BEST!!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 9:02 pm

        Totally have to thank my husband for that!

        Reply
    14. The Ninja Baker says

      June 15, 2014 at 6:09 pm

      These cabbage piggies definitely would defeat the war on hunger! Very tasty looking and sounding, indeed =) So glad you shared the tidbits of history and this recipe =)

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 9:03 pm

        That was my husband's part of the post, I knew none of that. I've thought of doing some posts on the histories of food, though!

        Reply
        • susan mieczkowski says

          December 31, 2017 at 10:51 am

          Browsing "Piggie" recipes today I came upon this one. Was surprised to see that your Dad was a coal miner in Ashley, PA as my Dad was also!
          I'm going to do bacon and maple syrup ... interesting addition.

        • Bernadette says

          January 02, 2018 at 9:10 am

          Hi Susan, sorry I'm late getting back to you! I hope you liked them, it's my husband's recipe and my grandfather-in-law was a coal miner. I never met him, he passed away before I met my husband.

    15. Sarah says

      June 15, 2014 at 5:49 pm

      This is one of my mom's signature dishes that both my real dad and stepdad love! I have to say I'm a pretty big fan too

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 9:04 pm

        Sarah, does your mom put maple syrup in her's?

        Reply
        • Sarah says

          June 15, 2014 at 11:08 pm

          No, no sweetener at all, the rest of your recipe is essentially identical but we use cooked regular rice

        • Bernadette says

          June 15, 2014 at 11:12 pm

          Yeah, seems like most people never used a sweetener in them. I guess my husbands family is just sweet that way 😉

    16. Shaina says

      June 15, 2014 at 5:16 pm

      I love that you let your husband take over for today and post one of his recipes!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 9:05 pm

        I really wanted to do a great steak, but he insisted!

        Reply
    17. Laura says

      June 15, 2014 at 3:29 pm

      Oh we love cabbage rolls but I have never tried it with bacon and maple syrup, really want to give this a try.

      Reply
    18. Liz says

      June 15, 2014 at 2:05 pm

      I love stuffed cabbages, but the maple/sweetness is new to me, too! How nice of your hubby to share his favorite with us all 🙂

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 9:06 pm

        Glad you like it!

        Reply
    19. Shannon @VillageGirlBlog says

      June 15, 2014 at 11:52 am

      This is comfort food for me! Love it. I have never added the maple, I have to try that. Sounds delicious!

      Reply
      • Bernadette says

        June 15, 2014 at 1:50 pm

        Thanks Sharon!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi everyone!
    Welcome to Rants From My Crazy Kitchen, where I share my favorite recipes and my thoughts on food, picky eaters, products, and restaurants. Join in the fun by subscribing to receive new posts as they are published. You can find out more about me by clicking on my picture. Enjoy!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Trending Recipes

    • Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Salad (Walmart Copycat Recipe)
    • Creamy Cucumber Salad
    • Chicken Pot Pie
    • 5 Ingredient Taco Soup

    Seasonal Favorites

    • Baked Brie With Apricot and Walnuts
    • Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
    • Overnight Eggs Benedict Casserole
    • Slow Cooker Honey Ham

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • CONTACT ME/WORK WITH ME!
    • FAQS
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2023 Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

    Enter your name and email address to subscribe by email
    Stay up to date on all the latest recipes, reviews, giveaways, and more for free!

    Your privacy is important! Please refer to Rants From My Crazy Kitchen's Privacy Policy for information how we use your information and protect your rights.

    1119 shares
    1119 shares