Main Dishes

 

Grilled kibbeh is the specialty of a mountain village in north Lebanon, called Zgharta. The kibbeh mixture is molded into big ball and then stuffed with small white, solid pieces of fat

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.

GRILLED KIBBEH STUFFING WITH HERBS AND SPICES

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

 

Many variations of stuffed grape leaves recipes, from Iraq to Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and LEBANON where it’s called Warak Enab (Grape Vine Leaves). Some recipes containing meat, others vegetarian. Some containing tomato sauce, others cooked in a lemony broth, but this recipe is my absolute favorite.

INGREDIENTS

500g Minced Beef

500g Medium Grain Rice

3 tbsp. Vegetable Oil

500g Grape Leaves

1 cup Tomatoes, peeled & cut into small pieces

1 medium Onion, cut to small pieces

Beef Ribs, (flanken cut)

Salt, to taste

2 tsp. Allspice

3/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

3-4 cups Water, (enough to fill the pot)

  

 

METHOD

If you are using fresh grape leaves, you will need to boil water and dip the grape leaves for 1 to 2 minutes into the boiled water, then remove and drain.

If you are using grape leaves from jars, drain, and soak in fresh water.

Wash the rice under cold water and drain.

Preparing the stuffing, mix the rice with the minced meat, vegetable oil, tomatoes, onion, salt, and pepper.

Prepare the grape leaves for stuffing by filling and rolling with the meat mixture.

Prepare the beef ribs by coating them with salt and pepper and lining a large bottomed cooking pan with the beef ribs and carefully place the grape leaves on top in a circular manner.

Add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, salt, and pepper to the water and pour over the grape leaves, making sure the eater reaches the top layer of the grape leaves, or add more water if the amount was not enough.

Cover the top of the grape leaves with a medium plate to prevent the stuffed leaves from floating.

Once it starts boiling, remove to low heat and cook for 1 or 1 and a half hour.

Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice in the mid-time of cooking.

Turn the heat off and let stand for 10 more minutes to rest.

Drain liquid from the cooking pan and flip the cooked leaves with the beef ribs to a large pretty platter and serve with Greek yogurt on the side.

Dolma is a family of a stuffed variety of vegetables with spiced rice and minced meat. Number one dish on Iraqi cuisine. It is usually cooked on weekends when the family gets together! Most of the time it is served with hot Iraqi bread (khobiz) and cold yogurt drink ( shinena).

 

INGREDIENTS

4 large Onions, (hollow out the inside)

3 Green Peppers, (hollow out the inside)

1/2 kg Zucchini, (hollow out the inside)

1/2 kg Eggplant, (hollow out the inside)

4 Medium-sized Fresh Tomatoes (hollow out the inside)

1/2 kg Vine Leaves

FOR THE STUFFING

2 cups Rice

2 tbsp. Tomato Paste

3 Tomatoes (skinned and cut to small pieces)

2 Medium Onions, (grated)

1/2 cup parsley, (finely chopped)

1/2 kg Minced Meat

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

3 tsp. 7 Spices

2 tsp. Salt

FOR THE SAUCE

200g Tomato Pomi Sauce

1/2 kg Tomatoes, (blend with skin until smooth)

4 cups of warm Water

1 tsp. 7 Spices

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

  

 

METHOD

1. Mix spice and salt with rice, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, minced meat, parsley, onion and vegetable oil in a bowl, this mixture will blend in flavors while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Meanwhile, trim the tops and bottoms from onions and peel the outer layer; place in a cooking pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until onions are tender to the core, about 30 minutes; drain and let cool.
3. Cut each onion halfway around the side and peel off each whole layer to get about 4 to 5 large layers each. Stuff each layer with 2 tbsp. stuffing and roll up into a football-shaped roll.
4. Stuff each kind of vegetable only halfway, (since the rice will generally triple when cooked), the hollowed-out onions, zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, and green peppers with the stuffing mix.
5. Place each stuffed piece neatly side by side in a large pot.
6. Take a small bundle of the stuffing on each grape leaf, fold in the sides, and roll up tightly to form finger-like rolls. Then layer each one on top of the stuffed vegetables in the pot.
7. Mix the blended tomatoes along with the Pomi tomato sauce, add spices, salt, warm water, and vegetable oil, and pour onto the stuffed vegetables, then cover the pot.
8. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil, then leave to simmer on low heat for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
9. Once cooked, take the cover off the pot and let it cool for 10 minutes.
10. Remove the stuffed vegetables, or dolma, from the pot and transfer to a large platter.
11. Serve with a yogurt drink.

TIP

One cup of raw rice will yield three cups cooked