Grapes leaves are a staple celebratory menu item in my husband’s family. They are a labor of love. Practice makes perfect; and although my rolling technique is not perfect, I am getting there. My mother-in-love shared this recipe with me and now I’m sharing it with you.

If you can roll a burrito or egg roll, you can roll grape leaves.

1 16 oz jar of grape leaves, washed and stems trimmed
2 lbs ground beef, 80/20
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 c long grain rice
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 garlic pods, peeled
4 lemons, juiced

Prepare the grape leaves:
Gently remove the leaves from the jar, taking care to not tear them and place in a strainer to wash. Rinse well to remove the dirt. While rinsing, pinch off the stem that extends past the leaf. If the stem feels too tough to pinch off with your fingernails, use a sharp paring knife to snip it off. Set the prepared leaves on a plate. If the leaf has a hole in it, set it aside to use in the bottom of the pot.

Meat mixture:
In a medium size bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp pepper, the butter and rice. Mix well to incorporate all of the rice and seasoning.

Creating the grape leaf roll:
Place a prepared grape leaf on a plate, vein side up. Make sure the top of the leaf is placed at the top of the plate. In the center of the leaf, place a heaping tsp of your meat and rice mixture. Fold in each side of the leaf over the meat and roll from the bottom towards the top, until the entire leaf is rolled and the meat is covered. (Basically the same as rolling an egg roll or burrito.)

Place enough leaves to line the bottom of the pot. Also, add the garlic pods in the bottom of a large sauce pot. Make sure to find a heavy ceramic plate which has a diameter slightly smaller than the opening of the pot. Place the rolled grape leaves, seam side down in a single row, packing tightly. Add salt and pepper on top of each layer. Create a second layer, continuing the rolling and layering process until the pot is full, leaving a 1” gap from the top for the plate.

Once the pot is full of rolled grape leaves, add your citrus base made up of 2 parts lemon juice to 1 part water. Make sure all of the grape leaves are covered with the liquid.

Place the heavy ceramic plate on top of the leaves to keep the top row from floating and unraveling. Once the liquid is added, if there is not enough to cover the leaves, simply top with water. Place the lid firmly on the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to medium-low for about 45 minutes. Test the rolls for doneness by removing one and checking the rice. If the rice is cooked all the way through, the grape leaves are cooked.

Through out the process check to make sure the rolls are always covered with liquid, adding water if needed. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add more lemon juice to the pot, about 2 tbsp more.

Serve the grape leaves with pita bread, or Lebanese vermicelli and rice. Enjoy this labor of love. They are truly special.