While preparing stuffed grape leaves is somewhat labor intensive, enjoying a fresh batch far exceeds anything you’ll take from a can. There are many different types of stuffing recipes, some call for pine nuts, others are vegetarian. Our family recipe is a combination of rice and ground beef.
Another bonus to this recipe is that you can substitute the grape leaves with romaine lettuce leaves, which is just as delicious. In the process steps below, I have detailed the preparation using both grape leaves and romaine lettuce.
Ingredients
- 20-24 grape leaves or 3-4 heads romaine lettuce
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup medium grain rice
- 1 small onion
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup water (for the stuffing)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1.5 quarts water
Preparation
Parboiling the Leaves
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil
If preparing stuffed grape leaves
- Remove from the water and set aside on a large plate, taking care to lay each grape leaf flat, one on top of the other, and parboil the next batch of 4 grape leaves
- Repeat until all of the grape leaves have been parboiled
If preparing stuffed lettuce leaves
- Separate the lettuce leaves and only use those that are large enough to be stuffed and rolled
- Place 4 leaves in the boiling water and boil for 1 minute
- Remove the lettuce leaves from the water, set aside on a large plate, taking care to lay each leaf flat, one on top of the other
- Parboil the next batch of 4 lettuce leaves
- Repeat until all of the leaves have been parboiled
Note – Certain mediterranean stores sell canned grape leaves. If using canned leaves, remove them from the jar and soak in a bowl of water with one tablespoon of vinegar for 20 minutes to reduce the brininess of the leaves
Preparing the Stuffing
- Peel the onion and purée in a food processor
- Combine the onion, ground beef, rice, dill, salt, olive oil, and 1 cup of water in a large bowl and mix well
- Choose a large pot in which you will place the stuffed grape/lettuce leaves
Stuffing and Rolling the Leaves
If Preparing Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Place the grape leaf flat on a plate; with a sharp knife remove the thickest portion of the stem from the leaf
- Place a small amount of meat at the base of the leaf and shape into a rectangle
- “Roll” the grape leaf as shown below
- When rolling, don’t roll too tightly as the rice in the stuffing will expand as it cooks
If Preparing Stuffed Lettuce Leaves
- Place the lettuce leaf on a plate and apply pressure to the center stem of the leaf to break or weaken
- Place a small amount of meat at the bottom center of the leaf
- Roll the leaf up like a burrito, rolling up the bottom while folding over the sides
- When rolling, don’t roll too tightly as the rice in the stuffing will expand as it cooks
Cooking the Stuffed Grape Leaves
- Once rolled, place each stuffed leaf in the pot adding new ones next to it. Depending on the size of the pot you may need to create a second layer of stuffed leaves
- Cover the leaves with water
- Add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the juice from the lemon
- Place a light bowl, plate, or other item on top of the stuffed leaves to keep them from floating during the cooking process
- Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Periodically check the stuffed leaves to ensure that the liquid has not fully evaporated. While the stuffed leaves don’t need to be submerged during the entire cooking process, you should see some of the water/stock bubbling between the leaves. If needed, add 1/2 to 1 cup of water
- When serving, you can squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the stuffed leaves or top with avgolemono, a lemon-egg sauce.
