stuffed grapeleaves

Author Notes

3 lbs. ground lamb(beef 85/15), 4-5 cups uncooked white rice(short or long), 1 32 oz. jar of grapeleaves (i use orlando or lebanese leaves), table salt, table pepper, CINNAMON( Mckormick), 6 lemons. Rinse grapeleaves completely and put on plate. Mix ground beef(lamb) and rice in a bowl. Take a grapeleave and spread it out on clean surface(destemed). Take a index finger amount of meat-rice mixture and put on base of leaf. sprinkle salt, pepper, CINNAMON on leaf. Pull towards you as you roll it and put in a casserole dish(9 by 13). Repeat until you have 36-40 rolled tight leaves. Take the 6 lemons and squeeze juice into dish. Repeat above for a second dish. Cover leaves with unused leaves, add a half stick of salted sliced butter on top. drizzle extra virgin olive oil over 3 columns of dish, then add a 1/4-1/2 cup of water or lemon juice. i use lemon juice. The liquid should cover the leaves. sprinkle more CINNAMON. cover and bake 325 for 1.25 hours. I have read and tried many variations, however this was shown to me by my mother in laws mother(lebanese) in 1982. Its the lemon and CINNAMON that sets this dish off. I have vegetarian daughters so you can use a plant based substitute( beyond or impossible ) product. —tellerman