Kibbeh

Lebanese Kibbeh


This is a part of my cooking journey about Lebanese cooking.  Kibbeh is a very popular dish in Lebanon. There are a lot of recipes about 'kibbeh', and this is one of them. Traditionally kibbeh is made out of minced lamb, but what I cooked today I used mince beef.

I am very comfortable with Lebanese flavours. Therefore, I enjoy cooking their food with confidence.  Today I cooked this kibbeh beautifully, and I am sharing the recipe that I found through my reading, but I changed according to what I like.  I do not use allspice, but the key of the spices for this kibbeh is cumin.  I also put some white pepper to get subtle heat/pungency.

I will take you to step by step how to do this kibbeh by pictures, I think they are useful guides for you to try the recipe and to enjoy the delicious savoury kibbeh.  Enjoy cooking to all of you and have fun.

Kibbeh

Recipe

Kibbeh

Kibbeh ready to fry

The Kibbeh Mixture:

500g lean mince beef

200 g cracked wheat-bourghul

1 onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper
The Filling: 

500 lean mince beef,

1 onion, chopped finely

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 tablespoons pine nut

soil for sautéing

Vegetable oil for frying

Method

Soak the bourghul with cold water, for twenty minutes.  Drain!

Place the bourghul, the meat, onion salt and pepper in a food processor.

Work the food processor to make a soft dough, transfer into a bowl and cover.

The Filling

Sauté the onion, add in the meat until it's cooked, then add the spices and pine nuts

Keep the filling mixture aside to cool.

To make the kibbeh

1. Take some of the kibbeh mixture (the shell) and form into a ball.

1. With your thumb, poke the ball to make a hole, making space for the filling.

2. Put the filling in, and pinch the top to seal the ball, then shape it into a point.


3. Fry in hot oil until golden brown about eight minutes.  Drain on paper towel.

Note: up to stage 3, you could keep in the freezer for a few months.

To update the Lebanese cooking so far.
- Tabbouleh
- Kibbeh

Stay Tuned
Susy