Best Kibbee Recipes

BAKED KIBBEE (SYRIAN MEATLOAF)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400º F.
• For Mixture One: Pour boiling water over bulgar wheat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain any excess water.
• Working in batches, use a food processor to grind the 2 lbs. of lamb into a fine paste.
• In a large bowl, combine the wheat, lamb, onion, salt and pepper. Mix well. (If mixing by hand, dip your hands in ice water to keep the meat mixture from sticking to them.).
• For Mixture Two: Heat clarified butter over medium-high heat. Add meat, onion, pine nuts, and seasoning and saute until meat is cooked through.
• Butter a 9"x13" baking pan. Spread half of Mixture One in the bottom. Spread Mixture Two over it, and press the rest of Mixture One on top. Wet your hands with ice water to keep it from sticking while you smooth out the top.
• Cut the kibbee into small diamonds or rectangles.
• Bake until meat is cooked through, around 30-45 minutes.

KIBBEE LEBANESE STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square baking dish.
• Soak bulgur in hot water until the bulgur expands and cools, about 10 minutes. Place the bulgur, mint, allspice, pepper, cinnamon, salt, onion, parsley, and lamb in a food processor. Process until well mixed, about 1 minute. Divide the lamb mixture and layer half in the baking dish, creating a large patty. Sprinkle pine nuts over the meat, then layer the remaining lamb on top, patting firmly. Cut the kibbee into 1 1/2 inch squares.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the lamb is no longer pink in the middle, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

KIBBEE NYI (RAW KIBBEE)

Steps:

• Do not use purchased ground meat if you can avoid it.
• Even extra lean has too much fat in it.
• Wash bulghur and soak in hot water for about 30 minutes.
• Drain well, and squeeze dry.
• Trim fat and sinew from the meat, cut in chunks, and run through a grinder, using the finest plate.
• Grind onion and mint, and in a large bowl, thoroughly mix with meat and spices.
• Run mixture through the grinder again, and knead the olive oil into the mixture; if it feels too dry add a little water, and continue to knead.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes for flavors to develop, adjust seasonings, and knead again to combine thoroughly.
• Mound on a shallow serving dish, pat down, and smooth the top and sides, using a little water on your hands to help.
• Coat top lightly with olive oil, or if desired, drizzle melted butter over meat, and coat evenly.
• Serve with pita bread or leaves of Romaine lettuce for scooping.
• In addition to being to being delicious as is, raw, Kibbee Nyi is the basis for many cooked kibbee dishes, a few of which will be submitted separately.

KIBBEE SINEEA (BAKED SPICED KIBBEE)

Steps:

• Soak wheat for one hour.
• Squeeze to drain.
• Brown pine nuts and onions lightly over med-low heat.
• Remove from heat.
• Combine meat, wheat, and seasonings.
• Mix and knead for approx 10 minutes (Kitchen Aid is handy for this!) Divide in half.
• Form one layer in an 8x8 buttered baking dish.
• Top with onion and pine nut mixture, spreading evenly over meat.
• Lay on top layer of meat, pressing down (this is important), and smoothing.
• Run a spatula along the outer ridge, forming a ridge for the absorption of butter.
• Dip the spatula in cold water and start make cuts the length of the pan.
• Then go back across "crosswise" forming diamond shaped pieces.
• Glaze top with 3 tbsp melted butter.
• Bake at 400°F for 20-30 minutes or until browned.
• Serve with sour cream, if desired.

KIBBEE

Steps:

• Soak the cracked wheat in cold water. Drain and dry. Chop the onions very fine and blend with the ground lamb, the wheat and the seasonings. Pound and knead the mixture thoroughly. You may put it through the meat grinder, if you wish, and knead it again, adding a little ice water as you work. It should become a paste.
• Form into small balls and serve raw with cocktails. Or form into small round patties, with a chip of ice in the center of each. Brush the patties well with oil and broil.

BAKED KIBBEE

Steps:

• Heat the oil and sauté the parsley, onion and garlic. Add the ground lamb and brown lightly. Add the pine nuts and seasonings and blend well.
• In a well-oiled pan 7 1/2" x 11", put a layer of half the kibbee mixture. Add the ground lamb mixture and press it down evenly. Top with the rest of the kibbee and brush well with oil or melted butter, or a mixture of both. Bake in a 350°F. oven for about 25 minutes. Let stand a few minutes.
• Cut into 6 large squares for a luncheon dish, or cut into small squares to serve as hot hors d'oeuvre.

123 BAKED KIBBEE

Steps:

• Soak bulgur wheat in a bowl in hot tap water. Let sit 10 minutes or so, and then drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add ground beef, onion, salt and cinnamon. Add the bulgur after draining. Use your hands to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
• Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil.
• Take 1/3 cup portions of meat and press into small hamburger type patties. Place on sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
• Serve with plenty of plain yogurt!

KIBBIE SENIYEH (PAN BAKED KIBBEE)

Steps:

• Filling: In skillet, add meat and butter. Fry on medium heat until half done and most of liquid has disappeared.
• Stir in remaining ingredients and continue cooking for approximately ten minutes.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Kibbee:.
• Wash burghul, drain and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Grind lamb (or beef) and onion through fine meat grinder (if you don't have a grinder, I use a blender or food processor to puree the onions and mix well into the meat.).
• Add seasoning to meat and mix.
• Add burghul, mix well - if you have grinder, grind it all together twice.
• Knead meat well, using a little ice water to soften.
• Grease a 10x14 baking pan (9x13 is fine) with butter.
• Divide kibbee in half, and spread first half over bottom of pan. Dip hand in ice water frequently to help smooth out meat.
• Spread filling evenly over first layer.
• Spread second half of kibbee over filling by forming patties in palms and cover entire surface. Use ice water to smooth meat.
• Score kibbee with knife into diamond shapes. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen meat from the side of the pan.
• Make a hole in the center of kibbee with finger tip. Let rest at least one hour before baking.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Pour 2/3 cup mazola oil over top of kibbee.
• Bake on lowest shelf until bottom is brown, about 40 minutes.
• Serve with pita bread.