Lebanese Meatloaf Recipes

LEBANESE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Place bulgur in a fine strainer and rinse thoroughly with cool water.
• In a food processor, finely chop the onions. Add beef, 1/2 cup water, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt. Whirl until mixture is a smooth paste.
• Add bulgur and 1/4 cup parsley; whirl just to mix.
• Pat meat mixture evenly into a shallow 1- to 1 1/2-quart casserole. Cut through meat mixture to make diamonds 2 to 3 inches wide. Place a peppercorn in the center of each diamond.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 425° oven until meat is no longer pink in center (cut to test), about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and add salt to taste.
• To serve, cut diamonds apart and accompany with yogurt.
• Yield: Makes 4 servings.

ED'S MOTHER'S MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and then boil 3 of the eggs for 7 minutes. Refresh them in cold water.
• Peel and chop the onions, and heat the duck fat in a thick-bottomed frying pan. Cook the onions gently sprinkled with the salt, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden and catching in the fat. Remove to a bowl to cool.
• Put the Worcestershire sauce and ground beef into a bowl, and when the onion mixture is not hot to the touch, add to the bowl and work everything together with your hands.
• Add the remaining raw egg and mix again before finally adding the breadcrumbs.
• Divide the mixture into 2, and in the pan, make the bottom half of the meatloaf by patting half the beef mixture into a flattish ovoid shape approximately 9 inches long. Peel and place the 3 hard-boiled eggs in a row down the middle of the meatloaf.
• Shape the remaining mound over the top of the eggs and pat into a solid loaf shape. Compress the meatloaf to get rid of any holes, but don't overwork it.
• Cover the meatloaf with slices of bacon, as if it were a terrine, tucking the bacon ends underneath the meatloaf as best you can to avoid its curling up as it cooks.
• Bake for 1 hour, until the juices run clear and once it's out of the oven let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes. This should make it easier to slice. When slicing, do it generously, so everyone gets some egg. Pour meat juices over as you serve or do what you will gravy-wise.

DONAIR MEAT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• For Meatloaf: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
• Knead for 20 minutes.
• Shape into two tightly formed loaves.
• Bake on broiler pan for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cool loaves and slice thin.
• Meat can be frozen for future use.
• For Sauce: Stir canned milk, sugar and garlic powder until sugar is dissolved.
• Slowly add vinegar and continue mixing.
• Let sauce sit for at least one hour in refrigerator before using.
• For Sandwich: Heat thin sliced donair meat in a frying pan.
• Dip a pita bread in water and fry in frying pan to soften.
• Place a small amount of sauce on bread.
• Top with meat, chopped onions and tomatoes and finish off with more sauce.
• Roll up or serve open face on a plate.

MIDDLE EASTERN MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a bowl, thoroughly combine the ground beef and the lamb. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk and oats. Pour into the meats. Mix thoroughly.
• Add all other ingredients except melted butter. Mix well.
• Shape mixture into an oval loaf and place in a roasting pan. Drizzle with melted butter and bake for 1 hour. Serve with sauce.
• In a skillet, heat the butter. Add the onions, green pepper and bay leaf and saute until onion is translucent and limp, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients, except tomato paste and parsley, breaking the tomatoes into small pieces as you add them. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken.
• Add the tomato paste and stir well. Cook 15 minutes. Add the parsley, stir well. Serve over Middle Eastern Meat Loaf.

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.

KAFTA (BBQ)

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. If using wooden skewers, soak in water.
• In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, parsley, cayenne, allspice, salt and pepper until evenly blended. Divide into 6 portions, and press around one end of the skewers to form a log shape approximately 1 inch thick and 6 inches long.
• Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.

TRADITIONAL GYRO MEAT

Steps:

• Place the onion in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Scoop the onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the ends of the towel, and squeeze out the liquid from the onions. Place the onions into a mixing bowl along with the lamb and beef. Season with the garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Mix well with your hands until well combined. Cover, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place the meat mixture into the food processor, and pulse for about a minute until finely chopped and the mixture feels tacky. Pack the meat mixture into a 7x4 inch loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside the roasting pan, and place into the preheated oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
• Bake until the gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) on a meat thermometer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.

BAKED LEBANESE KIBBE

Steps:

• Rinse the bulgur well, then cover with cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain well.
• Put the drained bulgur, lamb, grated onion, cumin and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well with your hands to distribute the seasoning. With a wooden spoon, beat in about 1/2 cup ice water. The mixture should be smooth and soft.
• Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and fry gently, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and add 1/4 cup of the lamb mixture. Continue frying, allowing the meat to get crumbly and the onions to brown nicely, another 10 minutes or so. Stir in the pine nuts and taste. Let cool to room temperature.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then press half the remaining lamb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Spread half the onion-pine nut mixture over the meat. Add the rest of the meat to the pan, patting and pressing it with wet hands to make a smooth top. If desired, score the top with a sharp paring knife to make a traditional diamond pattern at least 1/2-inch deep.
• Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden. Spread with the remaining onion-pine nut mixture. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool, with a dollop of yogurt.