Dolmades (Grape vine leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice)

Ingredients

• 500 g Pork (Minced)
• 500 g Beef (Minced)
• Grape Vine Leaves
• 2 cup Long Grain Rice (Tastic or Uncle Ben)
• 1 cup Lemon Juice
• 150 g Butter
• 3 tin Whole Tomatoes
• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 2 Onions
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 handful Salt
• 3 clove Garlic
• 40 g Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
• 100 ml Olive Oil
• 2 cup Fresh Mint (Chopped)
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 5 drop Tabasco Sauce

Method

1. prepare vine leaves
2. 1

   Take grape vine leaves and put in a pot with enough water to cover. Cook for 10 min, turn off the stove and leave for later.

3. mince mixture
4. 2

   Mix the pork and beef mince together in a large pot and add some water to cover. Put the stove on high heat. Bring to boil, drop heat and simmer for 10 min.

5. 3

   Prepare the tomatoes and put them in a blender and chop them up. You can also use fresh tomatoes. If you do, cut out the middle section before placing in the blender.

6. 4

   Peel the onions and add them to a blender with the garlic and blend.

7. 5

   When all water has evaporated from the mince, add the butter to the mince while it is cooking and mix it in.

8. 6

   Add the onions and garlic to the mince and cook for 5 minutes.

9. 7

   Add the tomatoes to the mince and mix all together. Bring to boil and then lower the stove and let simmer for 5 minutes.

10. 8

    Rinse the rice and then add it to the mince mixture.

11. 9

    Add the olive oil and let simmer for 10 min.

12. 10

    Once the rice is slightly soft (not completely soft), remove the mince from the stove and transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

13. 11

    Chop the parsley and add to the mixture.

14. 12

    Add salt, cinnamon, pepper and tabasco sauce.

15. 13

    Chop the mint and parsley and add them to the mixture.

16. 14

    Add the salt, pepper, cinnamon, Tabasco, lemon juice and sugar and mix togerther.

17. Make dolmades
18. 15

    Take the leaves out of the pot and place them in a plate.

19. 16

    Take a grape vine leaf, fill it with some mince mixture and roll it up.

20. 17

    Take a large oven dish and add some water on the bottom and butter.

21. cooking
22. 18

    Lay the dolmades in the dish and cover with foil.

23. 19

    Optional: Take 1 tin tomatoes and pour over the dolmades.

24. 20

    Place in the oven to cook for 45 minutes. At 40 minutes, remove the foil and leave cooking for the remaining 5 minutes.