KIBBEH DOUGH INGREDIENTS
1 kg of Lean Ground Beef or Lamb Meat, (lean beef thigh meat)
4 cups Fine Dark Burghul, (washed), (cracked wheat)
1 medium-size Red Onion
1/4 bunch Green Mint, (leaves only)
Few Leaves Wild Green Marjoram, (optional)
1 & 1/2 tablespoon Salt
1/2 tablespoon 7Spices
1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
4 Cubes Ice
KIBBEH STUFFING INGREDIENTS
1/2 kg Lamb or Beef Fat
1 & 1/2 Medium Size Red Onions
1/2 Bunch Parsley, (removed from stems)
1/2 Bunch Mint, (removed from stems)
Few Basil Leaves, (removed from stems)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Hot Chili Powder, (or to taste)
METHOD
Kibbeh Dough Preparation
In a deep bowl, add the washed bulgur and pour ½ cup of water over it, cover and let it soak for 30 minutes.
Add the meat to the food processor with 4 cubes of ice. Run-on high speed for about 2-3 minutes until the meat is well blended and turned doughy and sticky. We use ice so the meat doesn’t heat up and cook.
Prepare the Burghul and add to a bowl where you would mix and knead it well with the meat paste from the food processor.
Transfer the mixture to the food processor in batches, adding a couple of tablespoons of cold water each time. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. Your Kibbeh dough is now ready for molding.
Kibbeh Stuffing Preparation Method
Cut the fat into small chunks, add to the food processor along with all other stuffing ingredients and grind at high speed for about 3-5 minutes. You will get a better texture if the fat is grounded while still frozen. You now have the stuffing ready.
Molding and Cupping the Kibbeh
Use a shallow clear glass salad fruit bowl or equivalent to mold the Kibbeh. And to speed up the process, you could split the Kibbeh dough into small rolls/balls a bit larger than a golf ball
Make sure that your hands are wet with water when you’re molding the Kibbeh, so it doesn’t stick
Wet a plastic sheet (cellophane) with water and flatten a chunk of Kibbeh dough on it into a 1/3-inch patty
Add 1 to 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of stuffing in the middle of the patty
Place another wet sheet of plastic in the fruit bowl, take another chunk of Kibbeh dough and spread it evenly inside that bowl, and press it against its insides to a 1/3-inch thickness
Place Kibbeh mold on top of the flattened kibbeh patty and press downward until you cut through
Slowly pull the plastic sheet away then lift it from the fruit bowl
Gently turn over Kibbeh “head” away from the other plastic sheet and place it on a lightly oiled aluminum foil or plate. Your Kibbeh “head” is now ready to be cooked
Grilling the Kibbeh
Be careful carrying the raw Kibbeh head to the grill as they can collapse easily
Once ready grill kibbeh “heads” on the BBQ grill for about 30-40 minutes, (or bake in Oven)
Storing the Kibbeh
If you make extra Kibbeh heads and you want to store them do the following:
Lay them on a tray in a freezer overnight
Once frozen, place them in airtight zip log bags back in the freezer. They can last 3-6 months
Once ready for cooking, place the frozen Kibbeh head on the grill (no need to thaw it) and cook for 40 minutes until light brown
