RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Miriam Podcameni Posvolsky Kibbeh #2 - meat
Here is a recipe for kibbeh I've been making for a very long time, I just typed it and wanted to share with you. Enjoy! Archivist's Note: Claudia Roden calls kibbeh "the hallmark of Syrian cooking. It is popular throughout the Middle East, with certain recipes and forms being particular to the Jewish communities which came from the respective countries. 3/4 lb bulghur 3/4 lb ground beef or lamb (very, very lean) 1 onion 4 tbs chopped mint leaves 1 tbs chopped parsley 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp cinnamon salt and pepper to taste oil for frying Soak bulghur in water for 20 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as possible, using a cheesecloth or your hands. Place 1/2 the onion, the bulghar, 1/2 lb of the beef, and the herbs in a food processor and run the machine to grind it into a fine dough. It should look like a thick paste. Add a little water if it becomes too hard. Season with salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Chill. Prepare the filling: Chop half an onion and cook it in 1 tbs oil until translucent. Add the beef and stir until all red has disappeared. Season with salt, pepper and the rest of the spices. Wet your hands with a little water, make golf size balls with the dough and using a finger make a hole in each patty, aiming at having a thin wall. Place 2 tsps filling inside each patty and close giving them an oval shape. Deep fry in plenty of hot oil. Serve with lemon wedges. Notes: I sometimes make them just as small appetizers: make the patties much smaller and without filling and then fry them. You may bake it too, in which case you spread half the dough in a pyrex, top with filling and top with dough. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.
