Warak Enab

1. Rinse the jarred grape leaves well to wash off the brine, then soak them briefly in warm water and drain on a clean towel; if using fresh leaves, blanch them in simmering water for about 2 minutes first.
2. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then mix it with the raw ground meat, finely chopped onion, grated tomato, tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to make an evenly seasoned filling.
3. Lay each leaf vein-side up with the stem toward you, place about 1 tsp of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll tightly but not too snugly since the rice will swell as it cooks.
4. Line the bottom of a heavy pot with a few torn or unused leaves to prevent scorching, then pack the rolls seam-side down in tight layers, drizzling with the remaining olive oil.
5. Pour over the juice of the lemons plus enough water to just cover, weigh the rolls down with an inverted heatproof plate, and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover and cook on low heat for about 45 to 50 minutes until the rice is tender and the meat is fully cooked through (at least 74 C in the centre of a roll), then rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving warm with extra lemon.

You'll use: Large pot · Saucepan