Baked Kibbeh (Cardamom-Scented Meat and Bulgur Pie with Toasted Pine Nuts)

Recipe Description:

Baked kibbeh - it is literally the meatloaf of the Middle East. The details — caramelized onions, cardamom powder, ghee, toasted pine nuts — make this meat-and-bulgur version satisfyingly savory and delightful!

Prep Time: 1 Hours

Cook Time: 1 Hours

Servings: 8

Difficulty: Moderate

Recipe Ingredients:

For Filling:

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons grass-fed ghee (clarified butter), or pasture butter

1/2 lb grass-fed, organic ground lamb or beef (not lean)

1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon organic ground cumin

1/2 cup raw pine nuts plus 2 tablespoons for garnish, soaked overnight in salted filtered water, then dehydrated in the oven until toasted

For the Meat-Bulgur Mixture:

1 cup (6 1/2 oz) fine bulgur, soaked overnight in filtered warm water with a tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or liquid whey

1 lb grass-fed, organic ground lamb or beef (not lean)

2 teaspoons organic ground cardamom (you can buy cardamom powder or grind the seeds yourself in a coffee grinder; to make two teaspoons of powder, you need about 13-14 cardamom pods)

1 teaspoon unrefined salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tablespoons grass-fed ghee (clarified butter), or melted pasture butter

Serve with:

Plain, full-fat yogurt, preferably made from grass-fed milk

Recipe Instructions:

Soak bulgur and pine nuts: The night before, rinse the bulgur and soak in warm filtered water with a tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or liquid whey. Rinse the pine nuts as well, and soak in a separate dish with salted filtered water. Cover both, and leave to soak overnight.

Toast the pine nuts: Preheat oven to 350 F. Drain the pine nuts from the soaking water, spread on a baking sheet, and place in the oven for pine nuts to dehydrate and start to toast, stirring a couple of times throughout, 5 to 10 minutes.

Prepare the cooked filling: Dice the onion and sauté in 2 tablespoons of ghee or butter until fragrant and a translucent golden color. Add the 1/2 pound of ground beef or lamb, break up the lumps into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and stir on medium heat until cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and stir well. Turn off heat, add toasted pine nuts to the meat mixture (reserving about two tablespoons of toasted pine nuts for adding to the top of the kibbeh), and mix. Set cooked filling aside while you prepare the raw meat-and-bulgur mixture.

Prepare the meat-and-bulgur mixture: Drain bulgur from soaking water in a fine-mesh sieve, making sure to squeeze well to remove any excess water. Put the bulgur in a bowl, and add to it 1 pound of ground beef or ground lamb (make sure you use the same type of meat you used in the filling). Add 2 heaping teaspoons ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon unrefined salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and mix really well, either by hand, with a wooden meat tenderizer, or in a food processor (easiest). Make sure all the ingredients in this step are so well integrated that you cannot tell one apart from the rest. Half the mixture and set aside.

Assemble kibbeh: Grease a 10-inch square baking pan or skillet with a little bit of ghee or butter, and evenly press half of the raw meat-and-bulgur mixture to the pan, with the sides curving up just a little bit. Add cooked filling evenly on top. Finally, with wet hands, scoop the second half of the raw meat-and-bulgur mixture, and bit by bit, add the mixture on top of the cooked filling, patting down each piece, connecting them and smoothing it over.

Cut and bake kibbeh: Once the kibbeh is assembled evenly, use a sharp knife to cut the pie in a cross-hatch pattern. Melt 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee or butter and evenly drizzle on the top of the kibbeh. In each diamond-shaped kibbeh piece, add a toasted pine nut or two for garnish. Bake at 375 F in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until fully cooked. You may wish to broil the top for a couple of minutes at the end for added golden color and crispy texture.

Serve warm with yogurt: Let stand for a few minutes, then serve warm with a dollop of plain, creamy yogurt alongside.

Author: midEATS

MidEATS was founded by real foodie and writer Heba Saleh and lawyer-mom Brenda Abdelall in August 2011, with the goal of presenting to the world the best Middle Eastern REAL food blog the internet has ever seen. We created this site to teach the world how to cook Middle Eastern food and to enjoy the process. We know that it isn’t just the food that makes Middle Eastern food so great: it’s the ingredients, history, and preparation that makes our food into a truly delicious meal. We will share with you the stories and traditions of Middle Eastern cuisine and culture. View all posts by midEATS

Recipe Description:

Recipe Ingredients:

Recipe Instructions:

Author: midEATS

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