Middle Eastern Encore

Sticking with my theme of posting whatever I want while my sister is on hiatus, I am taking you all back to the Middle East.  During my travels in Egypt I tasted so many wonderful new flavors and foods.  This recipe is not one of them, see... you thought it was going to be a long drawn out story about eating this blah,blah, blah down some back street of Cairo, didn't you!? Actually, Kibbeh is something that I had for the first time at my favorite Middle Eastern grocery store right here in Phoenix.  For those of you who live in the Phoenix area my favorite destination for all of my Egyptian, Indian and Mediterranean pantry ingredients is Baiz Market Place near downtown.  They have a great selection of spices, peppers, canned goods, meat and bakery/pastry items.  In addition they also have a small restaurant that serves amazing treats including falafel, shawarma and....wait for it...kibbeh!  I have since enjoyed kibbeh many times and finally decided to deconstruct it and make my own.  It is delicious.  The flavor brings you to a place reminiscent of spice markets and street vendors and the texture is crispy on the outside and warm and satisfying on the inside.  You can serve it as an appetizer or as a main course, in our home we do both.   It is a little something different and I am certain you will enjoy it.

Kibbeh
By: Vanessa Madigan

Ingredients:
2 lbs finely ground beef
1/2 lb. #2 bulgar wheat
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp allspice, finely ground
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 small onion, chopped very finely
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tbs olive oil
vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

• Soak bulgar for about 30 minutes until soft.  Drain water, press remaining water out of wheat with your hand.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, combine the bulgar with half of the meat (for this recipe it will be 1lb.), season with a bit of salt. Turn on to low (mixer) or pulse (food processor) until combined very well and until it becomes almost dough like. If using a stand mixer use the paddle, if using a food processor use the dough blade. Set aside.
• Heat your olive oil in a large skillet add the rest of your meat and the finely chopped onion. Make sure to watch your meat and work it to make sure it stays fine and doesn't get clumpy. Add your allspice, salt, cumin, red pepper, black pepper and pine nuts.  Once the ground beef is cooked thoroughly remove from heat and allow to cool.
• To assemble the kibbeh, take a small handful of the "dough" mixture (about the size of an large egg) and press to form a small disc.  Place the disc in your hand and form a small cup. 
• Next, take a scoop of the meat and pine nut mixture and put it in the "cup".  Pinch the top of the cup together and roll in your hands to form a small football.  Set aside and continue until all of the dough and all of the meat is used.
• In a deep fryer or on the stove top, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Fry until golden brown and crispy.  Serve alone or with tahini and enjoy!

Below, you can find my recipe for tahini which was included in our previous post-We Got No Beef With You! - Vegetarian Delights!





Homemade Tahini
By: Vanessa Madigan



Ingredients:
1 Cup Sesame Tahini
1 Tbsp. Flour
4 Tbsp. White Vinegar
3/4 Cup Water
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Chili Powder

Directions:

• Pour the Sesame Tahini into a bowl
• Add the Flour to the Tahini and stir well.
• Slowly add the White Vinegar.  The Tahini will begin to seize up and become more difficult to stir, but, continue stirring to incorporate the Vinegar into the Tahini.
• Very slowly add the water to the Tahini mixture, stirring continuously until the mixture turns light and creamy. You may need to add additional water if you like your Tahini thinner.
• Once your mixture is creamy add the Cumin, Salt and Chili Powder and mix well.
• Add the Tahini to the Falafel, Grilled Meat, Seafood or even just use it for dipping bread and veggies!