Stuffed Grape Leaves

Directions

1. 1
   If you have lefover filling, you can stuff it into a cleaned, cored bell pepper, or roll then in cabbage leaves.
2. 2
   Rinse the grape leaves in clean water, and pinch the stems off.
3. 3
   Put then in a collander over a bown while u work wih them.
4. 4
   Mix all the fillings together, rice, lamb, salt, garlic and tomato paste.
5. 5
   Prepare a deep pot by puting in lamb bones (ask the butcher to cut up a few shank bones or leg bones for u) in the bottom of the pot.
6. 6
   If you don't want to do this, or can't, use your silverware in the bottom of the pot, a rack will not keep them high enough-- maybe u could use a basket, but I don't I just use bones or silverware to keep the leaves off the bottom.
7. 7
   now line what ever you have chosen to use with a few grape leaves and the stems u have pinched off.
8. 8
   Lay the grape leaf with the shiney side down on a clean flat surface (counter top is fine) u want to see the rough back, and the leaf viens.
9. 9
   Put about 1 tbls of the filling on to each leaf, and flatten it out into a finger lenght& width, but now going all the way to the edges.
10. 10
    Starting at the back, where u pinched the stem off, roll up over the meat mixture, then tuck in the sides, now roll tighly up.
11. 11
    Similarly to rolling a cigar.
12. 12
    now line the pot with the rolled grape leaves, alternating directions with each layer-- pack these tightly.
13. 13
    When you are finished rolling the leaves, you will need to find a plate to lay on top of these leaves cause u r going to weight the leaves down with a full jar of water.
14. 14
    when u have the plate, and large canning jar of water ontop, fill the pot to the top of the plate with water, hen bring to a boil, then you will have to watch the pot, and keep the water level up with boiling water (keep a kettle also boiling while u boil the leaves) these cook faster this way, approx 25 min, per jar.