Okay, so have you ever had kibbe? No, not the meat stuffed meatballs that we made a little while back. The kind with a bulgur shell that you fry and eat with lemon or tahine. Well, they’re hard to make. But they’re amazing. I’ve made them before, but never blogged them for you (aren’t I mean? One day I will). Well this has the flavors of kibbe, but is much easier to make.
It’s like a kibbe flavored pie. You put the shell on the top and bottom and fill it with delicious tadbileh. Oh, and make extra tadbileh. Because your kids will love to eat that plain. That’s right, they just love it. At least mine does.
Ingredients:
For the tadbileh filling:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 cup pine nuts, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the crust:
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 2 cups fine bulgur (cracked wheat), rinsed in cold water and drained
- 1/2 cup grated onion
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the filling: In a skillet, saute the onion in the oil over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the meat and continue sauteing, constantly stirring and breaking up the meat with a fork, for about 9 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the meat is fully browned.
4. Let cool, then add the allspice, pine nuts, and salt. Set aside.
5. Make the crust: combine the ground beef and bulgur in a medium mixing bowl.
6. Pass the mixture through a meat grinder – or – process in a food processor for one minute.
7. Return to the bowl and add the grated onion, tomato paste, allspice, cumin, Aleppo pepper, and salt. Mix well.
8. Grease a 12-inch round baking dish – or – a 13×9 inch dish with the oil.
9. Cover the bottom of the dish with half the crust mixture (about 1/4 inch depth) and press to form a smooth surface.
10. Spread the filling evenly over the bottom crust.
11. Top with the remaining crust.
12. If using a round pan, cut into wedges by dipping your knife in cold water. If using a rectangular pan, make a diamond pattern. Use a sharp knife to get clean lines.
13. Pour the vegetable oil over the crust (this is important! It’s what keeps it moist) and bake for one hour.
14. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges, tahine, and Israeli salad to go with it.
