My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch!

Bento Recipes: Cabbage-wrapped meatballs or beef strips

 
   
 

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This is something I improvised based on the idea that beef and stir-fried cabbage are tasty together.

Cabbage-wrapped meatballs:

Roll some small meatballs, about an inch in diameter. Season them as you like - pepper, garlic, whatever. Put them in a frying pan and cook covered on low-medium heat, turning them every so often so they cook evenly.

Cut or tear some cabbage leaves to make the "sheets" you'll wrap the meatballs in. They can be any old shape as long as they'll go around the meatball. Don't use the white part, as that'll be too stiff to wrap with. Put a meatball on a bit of cabbage, wrap the leaf around to completely enclose it, and pin it closed with an undecorated toothpick or cocktail stick. When they're all wrapped put them back in the pan, put the lid back on, and cook them over very low heat. The melted fat from the meatballs and the low heat will keep the cabbage from burning. Let these cook for about 15 minutes so the cabbage can cook a little and absorb juice from the meat. Eat right off the stick.

Cabbage-wrapped beef strips:

This is just a variation of the above. Cut the beef into very thin 2" long strips, so you can easily bite through them. Season or marinate them as you like. Don't cook them yet, though. Just put a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and spread it around so it coats the bottom reasonably well. (This is not really to fry with, it's just to keep the cabbage from burning before the meat juices start to flow.)

Cut or tear some cabbage leaves to make the "sheets" you'll wrap the strips in. About two to three inches square is good, but there's no need to get fussy about the shape. Don't use the white part, as that'll be too stiff to wrap with. Place a few strips in the middle of a piece of cabbage, roll it up to make a little burrito shape, then skewer it with an undecorated toothpick or cocktail stick to hold it together. When they're all wrapped put them in the pan, put the lid on, and cook them over very low heat. Let these cook for about 15 minutes, turning once, so the cabbage can cook a little and absorb juice from the meat. Eat right off the stick.