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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup sour cream (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add 4 cups cabbage (reserve the remainder until step 5). Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Crumble in the ground beef; cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the mixture in the pan. Stir well, then slowly stir in the broth. Stirring all the while, bring to a simmer; cook until thickened, about 1 minute.

Stir in the nutmeg, caraway seeds, allspice, pepper, cloves, and the remaining 2 cups cabbage. Cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 25 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sour cream until smooth. Season with salt before serving.

Variations: Substitute 2 leeks, white and green parts only, halved, washed thoroughly for sand, and thinly sliced, for the onions.

For a lighter dish, substitute vegetable broth for the beef broth.

Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar into the sauce before adding the sour cream.

Curried Ground Beef and Potato Stew with Apple-Cucumber Raita

This is a fairly traditional curry, made with a spice blend. Serve it in lettuce cups with the cooling yogurt sauce on the side. Makes 8 servings

¼ cup canola oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

3 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 pounds 90% to 93% lean ground beef

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1½ tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cardamom or finely ground cardamom pods

½ teaspoon cayenne

2 cups vegetable broth

1½ pounds red-skinned potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces

½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 head Bibb, Boston, or romaine lettuce, leaves separated

Apple-Cucumber Raita (recipe follows)

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Swirl in the canola oil, then add the onions, chiles, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring all the while, until aromatic, about 2 minutes.

Crumble in the beef; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, paprika, cardamom, and cayenne.

Pour in the broth and bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir in the potatoes. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the potatoes are quite tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Season with salt as desired. To serve, spoon into the lettuce leaves as if they were cups set on plates and top with Apple-Cucumber Raita.

Apple-Cucumber Raita

Makes about 2½ cups

1½ cups plain yogurt

1 cup chopped peeled apple

½ cup chopped peeled seeded cucumber

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and chill for up to 2 days.

Stuffed Cabbage

This deli favorite is a great make-ahead dish. Choose a dark green, loose-leaf head of Savoy cabbage and use the outer leaves. Makes 6 servings

12 large Savoy cabbage leaves

1 pound 90% to 93% lean ground beef

1 large shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup cooked white rice

¼ cup chopped golden raisins

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon stemmed thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1½ tablespoons sugar

2 Roma or plum tomatoes, finely chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cabbage leaves and submerge them with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until tender and pliable, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander set in the sink; set aside.

Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 400°F.

Mix the ground beef, shallot, garlic, rice, raisins, salt, thyme, caraway seeds, and pepper in a large bowl.

Lay one of the cabbage leaves on the work surface; mound ¼ cup ground beef filling in the center