Simple Kibbeh

Name: Simple Kibbeh
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 25 kibbeh
Ingredients: 2 lbs finely ground beef or 2 lbs lamb; 1 1/4 cups bulghur cracked wheat, medium; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper; 1 teaspoon allspice; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; 2 medium onions; 1/2 cup pine nuts (optional); 2 tablespoons olive oil; vegetable oil (for frying)

Submitted by Random Rachel

"Mildly spiced meat filled fried balls of goodness - not quite as good as the local Greek / Lebanese restaurant's, but close. I buy my bulgar from the bulk food bins of the local health food store or online since I can't find it at any of our regular grocery stores. from about.com."

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Ready In:: 1hr 30mins
Ingredients:: 10
Yields:: 25 kibbeh

ingredients

2 lbs finely ground beef or 2 lbs lamb
1 ¹⁄₄ cups bulghur cracked wheat, medium
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cumin
2 medium onions
¹⁄₂ cup pine nuts (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
vegetable oil (for frying)

directions

First, cook the bulgar: bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a rolling boil. Stir in bulgar and cover. Let it sit for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgar is soft.
Meanwhile, coarsely chop one onion, and finely dice the other onion. Also lightly toast the pine nuts in a skillet if you will be using them.
Sauté the finely chopped onion in olive oil. Add the pine nuts and ground meat, and scramble. Add the spices and cook until done. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl mix the cooked bulgar, coarsely chopped onion, and 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Use your hands to combine well and then run through a food processor until it reaches the consistency of bread dough.
To make the kibbeh you will need to make balls of bulgar filled with the cooked meat mixture. Shape ping pong sized balls of the bulgar mixture, and then use your thumb to make a hole in the center. Fill the hole with a tbsp or two of the cooked meat, and gently close the bulgar around it.
After you have formed all of the mixture into balls, you will need to fry them for 10 minutes using your preferred method. I heat a few inches of oil in a cast iron dutch oven and cook them in several batches on my stovetop, flipping the kibbeh halfway through cooking.
Drain on a rack and serve warm with tzatziki (Grecian sauce).