I just separate the cabbage leaves , either by boiling or by freezing for a week then thawing out for a few days until the leaves are wilted, then I make a mixture of chopped meat, minced garlic, onion soup mix, uncooked white rice, and egg (one per lb. of meat), fill the cabbage leaves and roll like a blintze. I put them into a pot with simmering marinara sauce to which I have added lemon juice, another packet of onion soup mix, more minced garlic, and brown and white sugar to taste. If I have extra cabbage, it goes in the bottom of the pot. Simmer covered on low flame for a couple of hours. Check for doneness. If I am really lazy (who, I???) then I will make meatballs and not stuff the cabbage, but rather throw a can or two of sauerkraut in the bottom of the pot. The key is getting the sauce to the right degree of sweet and sour. I never measure anything.
