Stuffed Cabbage

I "sang" my thoughts and memories of this dish before making it.
This is the actual recipe:

Stuffed cabbage

my mom's style

§       1 head green cabbage (Savoy is best)

§       2 lbs lean ground pork (or beef or lamb)

§       2 large onions, white or yellow, diced

§       1 cinnamon stick

§       1 tablespoon whole cloves

§       kosher salt

§       8 cloves garlic, minced

§       1 tablespoon dry oregano

§       1 cup cooked long grain rice

§       2 tablespoons parsley

§       1 32 oz can tomato sauce

§       black pepper to taste

bring a large pot of water to a boil with the cinnamon stick and cloves

Salt the water to "pasta water" saltiness

core the cabbage and boil for 10 minutes

reserve the spiced water

Add tomato sauce to 1 cup of the spiced water with 3 garlic cloves

cook this to a "gravy" thickness

remove the cabbage and when it cools, separate the leaves

cook the ground pork with onions, the remaining garlic and oregano

when cooked, salt and pepper to taste

add 1 cup tomato sauce to the meat mixture and mix well

coat a baking pan (or 2) with equal parts of tomato sauce and spiced water

~2 tablespoons of meat mixture per large leaf, fold and place in pan

top with tomato sauce and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes

serve hot