Aleppine Stuffed Grape Leaves

Ingredients

• 1 kg grape leaves
• 1 kg rice
• half a kg coarsely ground meat
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• half a tsp cumin
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 250 g tail fat
• 2 kg bone-in meat
• 8 heads garlic
• 2 litres water
• tsp salt
• half a tsp black pepper
• juice of 5 lemons lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• for blanching water for blanching

Instructions

1. In a pot, sort the grape leaves into large, medium, small, and bed-wrapping leaves, then wash them in water.
2. In a pot over the heat, blanch the grape leaves in water with a glass of salt and a little sugar, according to the chef, then remove and drain them.
3. For storage, tightly wrap the blanched grape leaves in a freezer bag or plastic wrap, then place them in the freezer.
4. For storage without freezing, arrange the blanched grape leaves in a clean, sterilized jar and press them down well. Then add salt according to the size of the jar and seal tightly.
5. In a bowl, mix the yabraq filling of rice with the coarsely ground meat, vegetable oil, ghee, salt, black pepper, and cumin until combined.
6. Place a small amount of filling on a grape leaf, then roll it, fold in the sides, and seal without rolling too tightly.
7. At the bottom of the pot, arrange slices of tail fat, slices of garlic, and pieces of bone-in meat, according to the chef.
8. Pack the yabraq tightly over the tail fat, garlic, and meat. If cooking in a pressure cooker or if the rolls are very small, they can be rolled in the shape of a bundle.
9. Before adding the broth, weigh down the yabraq in the pot with a plate or a suitable weight so it does not come apart during cooking.
10. In a separate pot, prepare the broth with water, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
11. Pour the broth over the yabraq in the pot until it is covered, then cook over very low heat until done.