Baked Kibbee (everyone's favorite!)

This is kind of a two step process. One is for the filling, one is for the layers. It'll make more sense as you follow it. This one can be difficult to understand, but if you have patience, you will do fine.

Serves 6
 
2 pounds coarsely ground lamb (make sure it is not too lean! maybe 80%)
1 cup bulghur wheat
1 large onion finely chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 stick of butter
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
Lebanese pepper (ground Jamaican allspice is good)
water

Soak the wheat in 2 cups of water and let it sit for 30 minutes. This will make it swell and be softer. Do not ever, ever skip this step because if you eat it without soaking it, it will swell in your stomach and talk about feeling full! You would feel like you grew a watermelon in your belly!

Step 1:
Pour about 2 tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan. Add the chopped onions and when they are translucent, add the pine nuts and saute until both are golden brown. Add 1/2 pound of the ground lamb, salt and 1 tsp. pepper, and cook until lamb is browned.

Step 2:
Drain and press the water out of the bulghur. Put in a large bowl. Add the rest of the raw lamb, the wheat, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Press half of the mixture into a rectangular baking pan. Cover evenly with the cooked mixture. Place the rest of the raw lamb evenly onto the the top, covering the cooked mixture. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonally through the mixture in both directions so the cuts leave 2 inch diamond shapes. Cut the butter into small slices and place on top of the kibbee.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with yogurt and don't eat too much!



The filling should look similar to this:

filling

The next picture shows how the filling is in the middle and you are adding the top layer, which is not complete in the picture. You can do it!

 

TAH DAH!!!!