Malfouf Food

MALFOUF

Steps:

• In batches, cook cabbage in boiling water until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; cool slightly. Trim thick vein from bottom of each cabbage leaf, making a V-shaped cut., In a large bowl, combine garbanzo beans, onion, rice, parsley, butter, oil, tomato paste and seasonings. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Place about 1/4 cup beef mixture on each cabbage leaf. Pull together cut edges of leaf to overlap; fold over filling. Fold in sides and roll up., Place rolls in a Dutch oven, seam side down. Add water, lemon juice and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, until a thermometer inserted in beef reads 160° and cabbage is tender, 10-12 minutes. If desired, serve with lemon slices.

CROCKPOT LEBANESE MISHI MALFOOF/MALFOUF (STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Prepare Cabbage: Wash and dry the cabbage, then wrap it tightly with Saran wrap. Place wrapped cabbage in tied grocery or ziploc bag and then freeze for 3 days.
• Remove cabbage from freezer the 1-2 days prior to using. The cabbage will still appear "frozen" after 1 day, so you can run under water to de-ice and loosen and separate the leaves for stuffing.
• Remove large vein from leaves (V-notch) and cut them in half to ready for stuffing.
• Take 5-6 of the smallest, inner-core leaves and flatten out and place them on the bottom of the crockpot as a barrier for the bottom layer of rolled leaves, covering the entire bottom.
• Prepare "Sauce": Saute garlic in olive oil until lightly brown and soft over medium heat.
• Add water and lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt and stir for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and leave in pan.
• Prepare stuffing (mishi): Rince rice in fine colander and place in large bowl.
• Add 2 tsp salt and all of the allspice to rice and mix well. If using, add chopped onion and mix well.
• Add meat to rice mixture and mix with hands until rice and seasonings are thoroughly incorporated.
• Stuff the cabbage: take roughly 1/4 cup of meat/rice mixture and place on stem side of cabbage leaves and roll semi-loosely to allow room for rice to expand during cooking. Meat should not leak out the sides and should be fairly contained by the rolled cabbage.
• Neatly organize each roll into the crockpot, leaving no room in a layer, but not packing so tightly that there is no room for rice expansion. After the first layer is done, pour about ½ the sauce over that layer. Sprinkle with 1T of dried mint.
• Add the second layer of cabbage and pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with remaining mint.
• Cook on low: Make sure water "barely covers" the top of the cabbage - add more water, if needed, to cover. Place a small, round, flat microwave and heat-safe plate on top to keep the cabbage in place and to help them stay rolled.
• Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.