Kibbeh (Beef and Bulgur Wheat Meatballs)

Name: Kibbeh (Beef and Bulgur Wheat Meatballs)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 16
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more to garnish; 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped; 8 oz. ground beef sirloin; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. ground allspice; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 ⁄ 4 cup pine nuts, toasted; 1 tbsp. ground sumac, plus more to garnish; 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups fine bulgur; 1 tbsp. kosher salt; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground allspice; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. ground black pepper; 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped; 1 1 ⁄ 2 lb. lamb shoulder, trimmed of all fat and sinew; Canola oil, for frying; Plain yogurt, for serving; Mint leaves, to garnish

Serves
makes 16

TODD COLEMAN

Middle Eastern kibbeh is a finely ground paste of bulgur, onions, and lamb or beef, which is formed into patties or balls, filled with coarsely ground, sweetly spiced meat, onions, and pine nuts, and deep-fried. In my family, no party is complete without a platter of my aunt Suad's kibbeh. If I ask her for the secret to her recipe, she'll only show me her hands. —Alia Yunis, from "Meat & Grain" (May 2005)

Ingredients

For the Filling

1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more to garnish
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
8 oz. ground beef sirloin
1 tsp. kosher salt
¹⁄₄ tsp. ground allspice
¹⁄₄ tsp. ground cinnamon
¹⁄₄ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp. ground sumac, plus more to garnish

For the Shell

1 ¹⁄₂ cups fine bulgur
1 tbsp. kosher salt
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground allspice
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cinnamon
¹⁄₄ tsp. ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 ¹⁄₂ lb. lamb shoulder, trimmed of all fat and sinew
Canola oil, for frying
Plain yogurt, for serving
Mint leaves, to garnish

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Instructions

Step 1

For the filling: Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add salt, allspice, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, until meat begins to brown, about 4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl, stir in nuts and sumac, and let cool.

Step 2

For the shell: Rinse bulgur, squeeze out excess water, and place in a large bowl. Add salt, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and onion, and set aside. Grind lamb twice in a meat grinder, and add to bulgur mixture; knead mixture in bowl into a pliable paste, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean dish towel.

Step 3

Shape about 1⁄4 cup of the bulgur-meat paste into a ball, moistening your hands with water as you work. Hold ball in one hand and insert index finger of other hand into center to form a hole. Shape ball into a thin-walled (about 1⁄4"-thick) oval with an opening at one end by molding ball around finger, gradually tapering closed end. Mend any cracks in shell with a moistened finger. Fill hole with 1 1⁄2 tbsp. of the filling. Moisten edges of opening, then gather edges together to seal. Gently form kibbeh into the shape of an egg, and keep moist under a clean dish towel. Repeat shaping with remaining filling and bulgur-meat paste to make 16 egg-shaped balls in all.

Step 4

Pour oil to a depth of 2" into a 6-qt. Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375°. Working in batches, fry kibbeh until browned all over, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter, and spoon some yogurt on the platter alongside the kibbeh. Drizzle oil over yogurt, and sprinkle with more sumac. Serve with mint leaves on the side.

For the filling: Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add salt, allspice, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, until meat begins to brown, about 4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl, stir in nuts and sumac, and let cool.
For the shell: Rinse bulgur, squeeze out excess water, and place in a large bowl. Add salt, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and onion, and set aside. Grind lamb twice in a meat grinder, and add to bulgur mixture; knead mixture in bowl into a pliable paste, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean dish towel.
Shape about 1⁄4 cup of the bulgur-meat paste into a ball, moistening your hands with water as you work. Hold ball in one hand and insert index finger of other hand into center to form a hole. Shape ball into a thin-walled (about 1⁄4"-thick) oval with an opening at one end by molding ball around finger, gradually tapering closed end. Mend any cracks in shell with a moistened finger. Fill hole with 1 1⁄2 tbsp. of the filling. Moisten edges of opening, then gather edges together to seal. Gently form kibbeh into the shape of an egg, and keep moist under a clean dish towel. Repeat shaping with remaining filling and bulgur-meat paste to make 16 egg-shaped balls in all.
Pour oil to a depth of 2" into a 6-qt. Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375°. Working in batches, fry kibbeh until browned all over, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter, and spoon some yogurt on the platter alongside the kibbeh. Drizzle oil over yogurt, and sprinkle with more sumac. Serve with mint leaves on the side.

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