Yabrakh (meat and rice stuffed grape leaves)
This is the dish that inspired my parents to quip, “we have sushi at home” every time I wanted sushi in middle school. This is an all-time favorite of mine since I was old enough to eat solid food. I loved this dish so much that I brought it to my second-grade “culture day” in the suburbs as the only middle-eastern kid. I expected everyone to love it as much as I did, especially as my grandmother spent the entire previous day rolling each grape leaf with love. Sadly, most of my grape leaves remained untouched. Today, however, is a totally different story. So many of my friends, who come from all different backgrounds, love this dish. Many cultures have their versions of stuffed grape leaves. In Syria, we have two grape leaf dishes. One dish is called Yalanji, a vegetable and rice stuffed grape leaf that is served cold. The other dish is called Yabrakh, a meat and rice stuffed grape leaf cooked in olive oil and lemon juice and served hot. While I like both versions, Yabrakh holds a special place in my heart. It is definitely a labor of love and requires following the technique precisely but it is well worth it. In my family, it is a fixture at big holiday gatherings. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving in my household without it. My cousins and I, like clockwork, debate whether the grape leaves that are more “drenched” in the olive oil and lemon mixture taste better or if the drier grape leaves are better. I fall into the latter camp but let me know which you prefer once you make this dish!
Ingredients:
jar of grape leaves (1) - brands: al wadi or ziyad work well
You can use fresh grape leaves as well but the process is a bit tedious and requires that you de-stem all of the leaves and clean them super well from any sediment.
ground beef (1 and 1/2 lbs) (85/15 lean)
short-grain Egyptian (el-Masri) rice (1 and 1/4 cup)
olive oil (1 cup)
lemons (2)
salt and pepper
Recipe:
Strain and rinse the grape leaves and then add them to a pot with water and let them boil for 1 minute. Work in batches as not to overcrowd the pot. Drain and set aside.
Wash the rice thoroughly and strain. To the bowl of rice, add salt, pepper, and ground beef.
Lay out your grape leave on a plate and make sure it is completely unfolded. the side with the stems protruding should be facing up. Depending on the size of the grape leaf, add 1/2 to 1 tsp of meat and rice filling to the middle of the grape leaf. Fold the bottom of the grape leaf up first, fold in the sides next, and then roll up the remainder of the grape leaf as tightly as you can. Repeat this process until you’ve finished wrapping up the grape leaves.
Note: you do this with some family or friends to make time fly by or while watching tv or listening to a podcast in the background. Or, you can treat this as a mindful meditation session and focus.
In a large pot, lay down the grape leaves side by side (no spaces in between). Once that row is stacked, stack another row of grape leaves on top in the other direction (think, Jenga). Once you’re done, add 1/2 cup of olive oil and salt to the pot then fill the pot with water until the water is 1 inch below the top layer of grape leaves. Cover the grape leaves with a shallow plate.
Bring the grape leaves to a boil, lower to a simmer and watch the water content to make sure you keep adding water to the grape leaves to keep the water level at 1 inch below the top layer of grape leaves. About one hour into the simmering, take the plate off, add in the other 1/2 cup of olive oil and make sure the water is still at 1 inch below the top layer of grape leaves. Add in the juice of the 2 lemons and let the grape leaves simmer for about another hour, or until tender. Length of total simmer time will depend on the toughness of the grape leaves you are using.
Once the grape leaves are done cooking, take a large and semi-deep bowl, cover the top of the pot of grape leaves, and flip the grape leaves into the bowl. The flip is not for the faint of heart so have confidence! After this, sit back and enjoy your grape leaves with a side of garlicky yogurt. Good job, habibis and habibitis!