Recipe: Yummy Stuffed Grape Leaves

Stuffed Grape Leaves. 'Stuffed Grape Leaves' is one of the most popular Turkish dishes. It is one of those dishes that always requested by everyone. It is not made that often because it takes time to stuff and roll the leaves.

A traditional accompaniment for dolmathakia is avgolemono, a sauce made of eggs and lemon juice. These are grape leaves, stuffed with a tantalizing mixture of rice, fresh dill, mint and lemon. 'Yum' is the only one word to describe these. These can either be a main dish or an appetizer. You can have Stuffed Grape Leaves using 21 ingredients and 22 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Stuffed Grape Leaves

1. Prepare of Meat Filling Mixture.
2. It's 3 1/2 lb of ground meat (turkey, beef, lamb, deer).
3. You need 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper.
4. You need 1/4 tsp of salt.
5. You need 1 cup of brown rice, rinsed.
6. You need 2 tsp of garlic, minced.
7. It's 1/4 cup of onion, minced.
8. You need of Grape Leaves.
9. You need 1 large of jar of grape leaves (90 count).
10. It's of Sauce.
11. Prepare 3 cup of chicken broth.
12. Prepare 1 quart of Tomato sauce (Spaghetti sauce).
13. You need 1/4 cup of onion, minced.
14. You need 2 tsp of garlic, minced.
15. Prepare of water or more chicken broth.
16. It's of Utensils.
17. Prepare 8 quart of lidded stock pot.
18. Prepare 1 of heat proof plate, cast iron lid.
19. You need 1 of weight or cup of water.
20. Prepare 2 of large plates.
21. Prepare 1 of sharp knife.

Grape leaves, the leaves of the grapevine plant, are used in the cuisines of a number of cultures. They are most often picked fresh from the vine and stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat, and spices, and then cooked by boiling or steaming. Stuffed grape leaves can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish. Stuffed grape leaves, dolmades in Greece, are a fantastic vehicle for all sorts of tasty fillings.

Stuffed Grape Leaves step by step

1. Mix with your hand all the meat, onion, and rinsed brown rice, garlic, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup onion..
2. Set aside. ( I use 19oz. Pkg ground turkey, a little more than a lb. of ground beef and ground deer meat. The combo to me makes it taste somewhat like lamb. I have used all ground beef. Use what you like best.).
3. Open your grape leaves , drain, and pull out a bundle. This jar has three. It is a little tricky, don't worry if you tear some on the first bundle..
4. Trim stems and large veins..
5. Trim the stems from one bunch of grape leaves. ( I do one bunch and fill them, then move on to the next bunch ).
6. You may use as much or as little meat as you like, if you use too much it will be hard to fold and not come out like a neat bundle, don't worry just take out some of the meat filling and reroll..
7. This is a large leaf. Some will be odd shaped or torn, set those aside until last. Pointed side is at bottom. Fold top down over meat..
8. Fold sides in keeping leaf snug around meat..
9. Roll down to bottom to make a stuffed tight bundle. Continue until you use your pile of grape leaves..
10. Put the finished ones on a large plate. I do these a bundle at a time because I stand at the counter and my back needs a break every so often. If you sit at your table you may be able to work straight through. Stuff and roll til you run out of something..
11. You will get large and small leaves. You can separate large and small when you trim the stems off..
12. I had 14 leaves left when I ran out of meat. You could put these in a freezer bag, removing the air, and keep for a month in the freezer OR you can lay a few of them in the bottom of your large pot to protect your bundles from possible burning..
13. Now we will assemble and get ready to cook.
14. Take a large pot with a lid, I use an 8 quart size. Layer 6-8 of your left over grape leaves on the bottom of pot. Since you can't stir while cooking, sometimes it burns a little if your fire is too high..
15. Pour enough tomato sauce to just cover your leaves in the bottom of pot..
16. Layer your bundles in a flat layer snugly. Repeat layering of bundles until you have put all stuffed grape leaves into pot..
17. I had 3 layers, about 77. You want them snug because in the sauce they may float, open and your filling will come out. That is why in a few more steps we will lay a plate or weight on top of them..
18. Pour the rest of the tomato juice, the onion, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, and the 3 cups of chicken stock over the bundles slowly..
19. ***Place a small metal or plastic plate or cast iron lid ( I couldn't find mine) on top of the bundles with a cup of water if it needs some weight. My Grandfather did this with the stock pot smaller lid and a metal weight. ***I usually don't do this but a lot of recipes call for it so I thought I would try it this time.!!!!!! My plate and water were not heavy enough to stay in place while cooking. Cast iron or a steel trivot would work. Almost all stayed wrapped anyway.!!!!.
20. Use low flame. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer. Add more broth or water if the sauce gets below the bundles. We need to cook the meat and the rice and still have sauce left for when we eat them.( I didn't need extra water).
21. Cook for 2 hours then check to see if your rice is cooked by cutting one in half and tasting. If not cook 30 minutes more on low. (I cooked mine for 3 hours because I was waiting for the hubby to get home, they were perfect, not overcooked at all and not burned).
22. Serve with a little sauce spooned over them. Some buttered crusty bread and a salad..

Every year, in early summer, I think about making stuffed grape leaves. Dolmades, as they are called in. Learn how to make stuffed grape leaves with meat and rice. Simmering the stuffed grape leaves in the lemon really balances out the potential heaviness of the meat and rice. The herbs and lemon really make these dolmades great!