Kibbee Bi Saniyeh (Kibbee in the Tray)

Kibbee bi Saniyeh (Kibbee in the Tray)

This dish is traditionally served in a round tray  and served in wedges.  The meat was generally lamb and ground through a meat grinder several times. The bulgar wheat was soaked overnight. My mother in law and her mother did not make it this way. Instead of the round tray, they used a rectangular pyrex dish. They used ground beef instead of lamb and the bulgar was soaked briefly and then drained. I like the nutty texture of the kibbee made this way rather than the traditional kibbee made with lamb.

Ingredients

4 lbs Ground Lean Beef

1 Spanish Onion
2 cans  Campbells Beef Broth
2 3/4  cups Bulgar (finely cracked wheat)
Alllspice
Cinnamon
Salt
Greek Yoghurt
Lemon Juice/or pomegranite juice
Olive Oil
2 tablespoons pinenuts

Make the filling first.
Directions for the Filling
Chop 1 large Spanish Onion.
Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in frying pan, heat the oil and fry the chopped onion till golden brown.
Add 2 generous tablespoons pinenuts. Keep stirring being careful not to let the pinenuts burn.
To avoid the spices being burnt, remove the pan from the fire and add,
a shake of pepper
a palmful of allspice
a dash of cinammon
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb ground beef.

Mix well together and return to heat, continue to saute and stir till meat is brown.

Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to get rid of any excess oil and moisture and place mixture in a bowl. Leave to cool down.
Make the kibbee next.


Directions for Kibbee
Take a can of Campbell’s Beef Broth and pour into a large bowl.
In another bowl, place 2 3/4 cups bulgar (finely cracked wheat) and fill with water.
Pour water off very slowly into sink, trying not to lose too much of the cracked wheat.

Add cracked wheat to beef broth, squeezing out any excess water with your hands.

To the cracked wheat and beef broth add:
    3 lbs ground beef
    a palmful allspice
    1/2 a palmful pepper
    a palmful salt
    large dash of cinnamon

Dip your hands into cold water first and mix all together with your hands. The damp hands help the spices to be thoroughly mixed into the meat. Add another can of beef broth to the mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Using a pyrex dish (I use 13 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches),wipe oil round the inside with a paper towel.

Take a handful of the kibbee mixture and form
into a thin hamburger patty.
Place and shape to the corners of the pyrex dish,
 continue in this fashion until the entire bottom
of the dish is covered. The bottom layer should
be thinner than the top layer.

Spread the meat filling evenly over the bottom layer.
Sprinkle a few drops lemon juice over the filling.

Spread 4 tablespoons leban (thick Greek yoghurt)
 over the filling.

Now make the top layer of the kibbee in the same manner you made the bottom, except this layer is a little thicker.
With a little oil, smooth seal off any empty spaces and cracks on the top layer of the kibbee meat.

Score top layer gently with a knife, just touching not cutting all the
 way through. You can make any design you desire.

Make one insertion right through the center with the knife and then
 go round the edge of the dish. This allows the oil to circulate while
baking.

Pour a little oil over top of kibbee dish, approximately 1/2 cup olive  oil

Bake at 350 degrees F. till golden brown, pour off all oil, put back in oven and continue to bake until kibbee is a deep brown.

Serve with yoghurt and salad.

Freezing

Freeze partially cooked, that is cook the kibbee and remove just before it starts to brown on top.
When removing from freezer, heat up oil first in a frying pan, pour hot oil over kibbee (this way the oil doesn’t soak all through the meat) Place in oven, turn oven on at 350 degrees F (DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN or your pyrex dish will crack.)  As kibbee turns brown, pour off all oil and continue to bake until golden brown.

Chef Kamal Al Faqih completely bakes his kibbee tray, freezes it and when needed, thaws it first, and heats up at 350 degrees F.  for 15 to 20 minutes. I’ve never tried this way.