Lamb dolma (rolled grape leaves) is one of the most popular dishes that my nephews and nieces ask me to make and it’s a real treat for my friends. Rolling each grape leaf is time consuming and it requires certain patience. However, it is a true opportunity to offer love to those you love. The combined aromas of lamb, herbs and spices all happily infusing, tightly wrapped together, later to be dipped in yogurt. The food serving starts with green taboule or a village salad before the steaming hot dolmas arrive at the table. I also like to enjoy a cocktail alongside these delicious plates. Nonetheless, I make sure that the focus stays on the full pot of grape leaves that I will be serving. Since we tie the dolmas with a kitchen twine, it makes it very easy to serve each guest. No lamb grape-leaf dolma gets served without yogurt on the side. I prepare two bowls, one with minced garlic, the other plain. The fat from the lamb chops on the dolmas is incredibly delicious. When serving the dolma on individual plates, pour a few spoons of the fat onto the dolmas.

Ingredients

• Grape leaves (Preferably a 16 oz. glass jar of Orlandobrand, consistent in quality. Extra leaves can stay in the brine in the jar, refrigerated for future use.)
• About four to six lamb chops (lollipops preferred)
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 2/3 cup short grain rice
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (and another one or two cloves for the side yogurt)
• 1⁄2 cup cilantro
• 1⁄2 cup parsley
• 1⁄2 cup dill
• 3 full Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Directions

1. Place the ground meat in a large bowl.
2. Wash the rice in a strainer, making sure all water is
   removed.Place it with the meat in the bowl.
3. Chop the onions as small as possible. (You can use
   a food processor.)
4. Wash the herbs, keeping the stems together. (This
   makes it easier to work with.) Remove two inches
   of the stems but do not discard. I usually finely
   chop the herbs together or you can do a bit at a
   time.
5. Mince the garlic.
6. Add all the ingredients except the grape leaves
   and lamb chops together. Mix them well. I use my
   hands; there are too many ingredients and I like
   to make sure it is really mixed well. (I always have
   a box of disposable gloves in my kitchen. It gives
   me a comfort level in hygiene and your nail polish
   stays fresh.)
7. Do not wash the grape leaves when removing
   them from the jar. I find the tartness of the brine
   gives extra flavor. To make things a bit quicker,
   I use kitchen scissors to cut the stems from the
   leaves. When taking these out of the jars, they’re
   rolled in a way that the stems are next to each
   other, making it easy to cut them at the same time.
   You must open the leaf gently to avoid bruising or
   ripping. Place the smoother side of the grape outside.
8. Put one tablespoon or a bit less of filling right on
   the center of the leaf. With your fingers, spread it
   in width like a horizontal pencil, making sure you
   have a little space on each side for folding.
9. Fold each side of the leaf and roll tightly to avoid
   opening during cooking.
10. Cut 17-inch pieces of kitchen twine. Tie every 9
    dolmas together with twine, making a bow which
    easily can be opened. Once completed, you are ready to cook.
11. I cook these in cast iron. If not cast iron, make sure
    you are using a heavy cooking pot.
    Pour a small drop of olive oil and with a brush,
    grease the whole pot including the walls. Once the
    pot is hot, put the lamb chops in to cook.
12. Turn them over for the other side to cook.
13. Use the brush to grease all of the inside of the pot with the fat that is released from the lamb chops. This gives an incredible smoky lamb taste to your grape leaves.
14. Place the grape-leaf dolmas tightly together on the
    lamb chops.
15. The unused stems from the herbs can be tied together with more kitchen twine and included in the pot for added flavor. You can discard these once cooked.
16. Put something heavy on them, like a plate. I use a
    stone lid from an Asian pot I have. Every home in the
    Middle East has heavy, big, clean rocks to be used for
    dolmas. This ensures they don’t open up as they’re
    being cooked. Add clean, cold water and make sure
    the level is two inches above the grape leaves.
17. Cook in medium heat for about an hour covered with
    a lid. If for some reason the water evaporates, you
    can add a bit more. A good cooking pot has a firm lid
    for trapping the steam inside the pot.
    Let it sit about 15 minutes before serving.
    

Side yogurt

Serve dolma with whole-milk plain yogurt. It’s tastier with smooth, runny yogurt instead of strained yogurt. Usually, I have two bowls: one with two minced garlic cloves and another plain. (Many people do not like the taste of fresh garlic.) Sometimes, I add few pieces of chopped fresh mint or dill with a little sumac. But these are really optional. Serve with warm pita or another favorite bread.