Afaf's Baked Kibbeh

Photo: MyLastBite

Ingredients

1 pound of uncooked ground sirloin beef (make sure it’s very low

1/2 pound of bulgar

1 pound of ground beef (for the filling)

1 onion, diced

1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon Seven Spices- or “Kibbeh spices” (available online)

Olive oil

Unsalted butter

Preparation

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.Brown 1 lb of ground meat with onions.

Soak bulgar in room temperature water (about 20 -30 min.) squeeze out excess water

Roast pine nuts until dark brown (dry, or using butter)

Once the bulgar is ready, add it in bowl with remaining ground uncooked ground sirloin.

Add spices. Mix these ingredients very thoroughly (using hands- blender optional) as if kneading dough for a minimum of 15 minutes and must become dough-like. If it is too thick, drizzle some water into mix.

Coat bottom of metal 9?13 pan with butter.

Gradually pat bulgar-meat mix in thin layer on the bottom, spread evenly and pat until smooth.

Take cooked meat and onions then mix in pine nuts.

Spread evenly over bottom layer.

Pat gently into meat layer with spatula or spoon.

Add top layer of bulgar-meat mix in thin, even layer. Wet fingers if too sticky.

Smooth surface and edges.

With a wet knife, cut to make your choice of design (diamond is most common which is made by cutting straight across in one direction and diagonal in the other)

Dot unsalted butter on top, place in oven, uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Broil for 5-10 minutes towards end to brown top.

Cut again before serving.