Lamb Kibbeh Recipes

MIDDLE EASTERN KIBBEH

Steps:

• Place bulgur in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with water just to the top of the bulgur. Place in the microwave and cook on High 1 to 2 minutes until bulgur is swollen and the water is absorbed. Toss briefly and allow to stand until cool.
• Place the mint leaves in the bowl of a food processor. Process, gradually adding onion through the feed tube, until both mint and onion are finely chopped. Stir the mint-onion mixture into the bulgur, with the cumin, allspice, salt, and pepper. Stir the bulgur mixture into the ground lamb and mix thoroughly. Using damp hands, shape the lamb mixture into small, palm-sized patties.
• Place the olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the kibbeh patties and cook until outside is golden brown and center is cooked through, turning once, about 6 minutes on each side.

BAKED KIBBEH

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Cook onion in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add lamb, allspice, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up lumps, until lamb is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup pine nuts.
• Make bulgur mixture:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cover bulgur by 1 inch with cold water in a bowl. When dust and chaff rise to surface, pour off water, then repeat rinsing 2 more times. Cover rinsed bulgur with cold water by 1 inch and let stand 10 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on bulgur to remove excess liquid, and transfer to a large bowl.
• Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Add lamb, allspice, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and pulse until onion is finely minced (meat will look smooth). Add to bulgur and mix with your hands to combine well.
• Assemble and bake kibbeh:
• Lightly grease pie plate with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Press half of bulgur mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of plate (up 1 inch if using skillet). Spoon filling evenly over bulgur mixture. Spoon remaining bulgur mixture over filling and spread to cover, smoothing top. Brush top with remaining olive oil and score in a crosshatch pattern with a paring knife.
• Bake kibbeh in middle of oven until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat broiler. Broil kibbeh 5 to 7 inches from heat until top is golden brown and crusty, 3 to 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

AUNT LOUISE'S BAKED KIBBEH

Steps:

• Place bulgur in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand until water is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir 1/4 cup onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, basil, and pepper into the bulgur. Add ground beef and 1/2 pound lamb; mix well. Divide mixture into 2 portions. Pat 1 portion over the bottom of a 12x7-inch baking dish.
• Pat the other portion into a matching rectangle on a piece of waxed paper. Set aside for the top.
• Cook and stir remaining 1/4 cup onion and 1/2 pound lamb in a skillet until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess grease from the skillet. Stir in pine nuts and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spoon lamb-pine nut mixture over the meat layer in the baking dish.
• Invert top layer over the filling. Peel off waxed paper. Score top layer into diamond shapes by cutting diagonally in both directions, leaving about 3 inches between cuts. Press a small dab of butter into the middle of each diamond.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and mint.

KIBBEH

Steps:

• Process.
• Kibbeh (Crust) - Put the burghul in the bowl, cover with cold water and let stand for 15 minutes Drain burghul and squeeze in hands to soften. Place the lamb or beef in food processor and mince to fine paste. Add the remainder of the ingredients (adding water a little at a time) to the blender and mix. Remove and keep aside.
• Filling - Heat oil in pan, add onions and cook till soft. Add nuts, cook until lightly browned. Add lamb and spices, cook, stirring until lamb is browned.
• Fried Kibbeh.
• Shape 1/4 cups of kibbeh into balls using damp hands. Hollow out the centers. Using your thumb, press a rounded teaspoon (or more) of filling inside. Shape into ovals. Now deep-fry the kibbeh in hot oil (in batches) until browned all over and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with appetizers (mezze) and salads.
• Baked Kibbeh.
• Divide the kibbeh into 2 equal portions. Flatten one portion on an oiled medium sized oven tray. Spread all the filling over it. Flatten the other portion of kibbeh using wet hands and layer on top of the filling. Shape into diamond shapes using sharp knife. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil with some small lumps of butter (equivalent in total to 1 tbs) over the top. Place in the middle shelf of oven and bake on moderate heat for 40 - 50 minutes or until the top browns. Drain excess oil. Serve hot with salad.

KIBBEH NAYYEH

Steps:

• Puree the onion in a food processor, adding a little salt and pepper. Rinse the bulgur in a sieve under cold running water and squeeze out the excess moisture. Add it to the onion, blend thoroughly, and pour out of the work bowl.
• Now process the meat to a soft paste, adding a little salt and pepper. Add the onion-and-bulgur mixture and process again, adding a little iced water gradually (start with 1/4 cup), just enough to achieve a soft paste. Continue to process, in batches if you like, or knead with your hands to a smooth, elastic, doughy consistency. Chill in the refrigerator.
• Serve chilled, spread thinly on a flat glass or china serving plate. Drizzle generously with oil and garnish with a few mint leaves.
• Accompany with trimmed scallions and a bowl of small romaine lettuce, and serve with Arab bread.
• You may like to spice the kibbeh mixture with 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and a good pinch of ground chili pepper or cayenne. I have become very fond of that. You can also have a squeeze of lemon juice over the top with the olive oil.
• Another way of serving kibbeh nayyeh is to roll the meat mixture into small, thin fingers and place each one in the cup of a small romaine or Bibb lettuce leaf. Sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice, or with tamarind diluted in a little water, and garnish with chopped scallions and a dusting of paprika or ground chili pepper.
• Proportions of meat and wheat can be varied, and quantities reversed.
• A marvelous spicy version from Gaziantep, in southeastern Turkey, called çig köfte is so full of wheat and has so many spices that you can hardly tell the raw-meat content. Pour boiling water over 1 1/4 cups bulgur and soak for 1/2 hour. Drain, press all the excess water out, and mix with 2 grated onions. Blend 1/2 pound lean lamb to a paste in a food processor. Add the bulgur and grated onions and the following: 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground chili pepper or cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley. Blend to a homogenous paste. Serve spread on a dish sprinkled with parsley and lemon juice, or rolled into little balls.