Sarma

Carefully remove 16 whole leaves from the head of sauerkraut. Using a knife, trim the hard central ribs at the base of each leaf so the sarma rolls will be easier to wrap. If the sauerkraut is extremely sour, quickly rinse the leaves under cold water.

In a pan with olive oil, slowly sauté the chopped onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant, then let them cool slightly.

In a larger bowl, combine the ground meat, rinsed rice, sautéed onion and garlic, egg, ground sweet paprika, chopped parsley, salt and black pepper. Knead the mixture well with your hands so the ingredients bind evenly.

Place a sauerkraut leaf on your palm, put about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center, roll from the bottom upward, and tuck the side edges of the leaf inward with your fingers so the filling doesn't fall out.

Spread half of the grated sauerkraut over the bottom of a large cast-iron pot. Arrange the prepared sarma rolls tightly next to each other over the sauerkraut.

Place the sliced smoked bacon or ribs and bay leaves among the sarma rolls. Sprinkle the remaining grated sauerkraut over the sarma.

In a pitcher, mix the tomato concentrate, ground cumin and warm water, and pour this over the sarma so they are almost completely covered with liquid.

Cover the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the temperature to the lowest setting and slowly simmer the sarma for 90 to 120 minutes, until the meat and sauerkraut become tender and the sauce naturally thickens.

Remove the cooked sarma from the heat, let rest for 10 minutes, and serve hot immediately.