Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Steps

1. Wash the cabbage heads and peel off the outer green edges.
2. Cut off the end rot of each cabbage head.
3. Place each cabbage head into a big pot of water and boil for about an hour until the leaves are pliable.
4. Strain the boiled cabbage in a strainer to let excess water drip off.
5. Rinse the soaked rice thoroughly.
6. Let the rinsed rice sit for 5-10 minutes until all the water is gone, then move it to a large bowl.
7. In a separate bowl, combine the ground beef (Kishna), salt, pepper, about eight or ten cloves of garlic, seven spice, tomato paste, and olive oil.
8. Mix the filling ingredients until uniform, similar to making meatballs.
9. Take the bottom half of each cabbage head (where the root is) and place these on the bottom of a large pot to prevent scorching; continue this until the bottom is covered.
10. Cut off the flimsy top and bottom portions of the remaining cabbage leaves, using only the middle sections for rolling.
11. Place about one tablespoon of filling onto each usable leaf and roll it tightly.
12. Arrange the rolled cabbage rolls in layers on top of the initial base layer.
13. After forming a first layer, add more garlic slices (about six or seven cloves) and some mint leaves to the pot.
14. Continue adding layers until you have formed three or four layers total.
15. For the final layer, add more mint and garlic cloves.
16. Place any excess meat in one bowl and mix it with another can of tomato paste.
17. Fill the large pot with warm water until the last layer is covered.
18. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the cooking liquid on the last layer.
19. Cover the pot with a plate upside down and weigh it down with a heavy object like a glass jar or filled measuring cup.
20. Cook the stuffed cabbage rolls on high heat for about 30 minutes, then reduce the heat and cook on low for about 2 hours until the leaves are tender.
21. Taste midway through cooking to check progress and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
22. Serve the Malouf with freshly squeezed lemon juice on top.