JOSEPHINE GRESKO'S STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add a cabbage. Reduce heat slightly and blanch cabbage, turning a few times, about 5 minutes, until leaves begin loosening and look translucent.
• With cabbage in water, use long-handled fork or tongs to pull off leaves as they loosen.
• Remove what's left of cabbage and repeat with other cabbage.
• Don't discard inner leaves or broken leaves. Reserve water.
• Let cabbage cool.
• In large bowl or tub, put ground beef, onion, celery, rice, eggs, parsley flakes, garlic salt, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Mix well with hands, adding 1/4 cup water if mixture feels "tight.".
• With paring knife, trim thick cores from outer sides of cabbage leaves. Coarsely chop smaller leaves and cabbage bits; strew half in bottom of an 18-by-10-by-3-inch heavy-duty foil roasting pan.
• Pour reserved cabbage water over sauerkraut in a colander to rinse more, if you like.
• Drain well.
• Strew half the kraut over cabbage in pan.
• Pour in half the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup tomato juice.
• Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
• For rolls, shape about 1/4 cup meat into a sausage (not too tight) for a large leaf, less for a smaller leaf.
• Put filling on the bottom of the leaf, and fold the bottom over the filling, pressing inches
• Then fold in the sides, pressing and rolling, but not too tight, not worrying if a leaf breaks.
• Filled leaves are placed seam-side down in pan, in even rows, 5 or 6 across, making 25 to 28 rolls.
• Strew remaining chopped cabbage (chop any unused leaves) and sauerkraut over the rolls.
• Top with remaining crushed tomatoes and tomato juice.
• Salt and pepper generously.
• Rinse crushed tomato can with about 1/2 can water.
• Pour water over top; don't worry about mixing it.
• Cover pan tightly with foil.
• Bake in 325-degree oven 1 hour. (Check after 30 minutes to be sure it's bubbling. If not, turn oven to 350 degrees.).
• After 1 hour, reduce temperature to 250 degrees. Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, until rolls are tender and meat and rice fully cooked (cut open a roll to check).