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1. Drop the cabbage into a large pot of boiling water and let it cook briskly for about 10 minutes. Remove the cabbage (letting the water continue to boil) and carefully detach as many of the outer leaves as you can until it becomes difficult to separate them.
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2. Return the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove and again detach as many more leaves as you can. Repeat this process until the whole cabbage has been separated into individual leaves. (Discard the smallest inner leaves.)
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3. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, add the rice and boil briskly, uncovered, for about 12 minutes. Drain in a sieve and set aside.
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4. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add 2 cups of the onions and, stirring occasionally, cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are soft and lightly browned.
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5. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl and add the ground meat, rice, 1 teaspoon of the salt and a few grindings of pepper. Mix together until well combined and stir in the prunes. Taste for seasoning.
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6. Lay the cabbage leaves side by side and, with a small knife, trim the base of each leaf of its tough rib end. Place ¼cup of the filling and 1 prune in the center of each of the 12 largest leaves, less filling on the smaller leaves, and roll up all of the leaves tightly, neatly tucking in the ends as if you were wrapping a package.
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7. Preheat the oven to 325. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. When the foam begins to subside, add 4 or 6 cabbage rolls, seam-sides down, and fry 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
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8. Watch carefully for any sign of burning, and regulate the heat accordingly. With a slotted spoon, transfer the rolls to a shallow ovenproof baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer and proceed to brown the remaining rolls similarly.
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9. Melt the remaining 4 more tablespoons of butter in the skillet and add the remaining cup of chopped onions. Cook 3 or 4 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, the remaining teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper.
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10. In a small mixing bowl, beat the flour into the sour cream a teaspoon at a time and stir the mixture into the simmering sauce. Taste for seasoning and pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls, masking them completely. Bake uncovered in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped dill and serve at once.
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