Baked Lebanese Kibbe
Updated August 29, 2022
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
1 cup fine-grain bulgur
1 pound lamb shoulder, ground fine
¼ cup grated onion
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt
pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
2 cups sliced onions, ¼-inch thick
½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
Greek-style yogurt, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
25 grams carbs; 58 milligrams cholesterol; 458 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 435 milligrams sodium; 19 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Rinse the bulgur well, then cover with cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Step 2
Put the drained bulgur, lamb, grated onion, cumin and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well with your hands to distribute the seasoning. With a wooden spoon, beat in about ½ cup ice water. The mixture should be smooth and soft.
- Step 3
Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and fry gently, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and add ¼ cup of the lamb mixture. Continue frying, allowing the meat to get crumbly and the onions to brown nicely, another 10 minutes or so. Stir in the pine nuts and taste. Let cool to room temperature.
- Step 4
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then press half the remaining lamb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Spread half the onion-pine nut mixture over the meat. Add the rest of the meat to the pan, patting and pressing it with wet hands to make a smooth top. If desired, score the top with a sharp paring knife to make a traditional diamond pattern at least ½-inch deep.
- Step 5
Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden. Spread with the remaining onion-pine nut mixture. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool, with a dollop of yogurt.
Private Notes
Comments
I really liked this, something different, not a meatloaf, not a burger, something else. The crunch is great. I used ground lamb and served it with mashed potatoes, roasted beets, and sour cream. To make fine-grain bulgur, take any bulgur and put in the food processor for a few pulses.
ALWAYS USE clarified butter for the filling (eliminating the acidic white solids). I add a little cinnamon, allspice an a touch of fresh mint to the filling. Salam!
Followed other reviewers suggestions and made the following modifications:
- increased the meat to 1.5 lbs (I used 1/2 beef, 1/2 lamb this time)
- doubled the cumin, +1/4 tsp. allspice + 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
- reduced pine nuts to 1/4 cup
- added 1/4 cup currants (raisins would work too)
This was a huge hit and I will definitely make again! Next time, I might add some chopped parsley and mint to the filling, as others suggested.
This is on heavy rotation in our house. Mods: Double the bulgur. 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice, at least 1/4 cup chopped mint, more if you have it.
Made as directed other than using a silicone spatula instead of a wooden spoon. Very good. Next time, I'll slice the onions thinner. Everything takes longer to cook up here at 9100 feet. "Golden brown" wasn't too helpful, as mine was a tad on the overdone side; maybe a temperature setting? And, maybe next time, I'll just mix everything together instead of the layers and topping. Should taste the same, and I'm lazy.
Garnish with some freshly squeezed lemon. Delicious! (Note - when I was little, I used to dip in ketchup and my Lebanese-Armenian grandma would throw a fit!)