Kibbeh

Brazil has a large community of Middle Eastern immigrants/descedants (mostly Lebanese and Syrians) and their cuisine is big part of our daily lives. Some of their foods, such as sfiha and kibeh are so popular that they are sold in fast food chains.

The seasonings for kibbeh varies and the recipe here is my own. You can check the web for traditional. The original recipe calls for frying. I bake it. Some versions add stuffing to it, which I think is delicious, but adds more meat to it.

Today I made this dish with ground turkey, not traditional at all. Because turkey is a drier meat, I added an additional ½ grated onion. I am serving the kibbeh with tabbouleh, and a fresh salad.

Kibbeh

8 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs finely ground beef or lamb, lean

2/3 cup bulgur

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup fresh mint, chopped

1 pinch of cinnamon and ground clove, or a pinch of allspice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven 375 F.

Soak bulgur for 1 to 3 hours in cold water. Drain. Place in a large bowl and combine with ground meat, chopped onion, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mint, cinnamon.

Combine well. You can use a food processor if you like. Press the mixture into a baking pan, smooth the surface with a knife. Cut into diamond shape pieces. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, until it starts browning. Garnish with mint leaves and lime wedges upon serving (optional).