Stuffed Cabbage

This recipe is based on one from Barefoot Contessa at Home. Stuffed cabbage is a traditional Jewish recipe that uses ground beef and rice. Because I’m Southern and not Jewish, I added some Italian sausage to the beef mixture. Also, the original tomato sauce has raisins, but my take omits them. These are best for a weekend because, while easy, they take some time to put together. But the taste makes them worth the time. (The cabbage I used was pretty small, so this made 16 rolls. Bigger leaves will yield less.) Andy asked that we add it to our recipe repertoire!
1 head cabbage
Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. or 1 link Italian sausage, casing removed
1/4 cup uncooked white rice
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg

1. Remove the core from the cabbage with a sharp knife. Fill a Dutch oven with water, and bring to a boil. Add in some salt. Drop in the cabbage, and cook for 5 minutes or until the leaves are pliable. Remove cabbage, and allow to cool. Empty water from Dutch oven, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onions in hot oil in a pan for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in red wine vinegar, brown sugar, tomatoes, and 2 thyme sprigs. Simmer sauce for 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
3. Combine ground beef, next 5 ingredients, and 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme.
4. Spoon 1/2 cup tomato sauce into bottom of Dutch oven.
5. Peel leaves from cabbage. Use a sharp knife to cut out hard rib from each leaf. Scoop out 2 Tbsp. of meat mixture, and place in center of cabbage leave. Roll up, tucking in the sides; place cabbage roll, seam side down, on top of tomato sauce mixture. Repeat procedure until the bottom of the Dutch oven is covered. Spoon more of sauce over top of rolls. Continue rolling and layering cabbage rolls and sauce in Dutch oven. Cover with lid.
6. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Serve immediately.