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Kibbeh

Kathie Lee and Hoda
TODAY
RATE THIS RECIPE
(2)

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs good-quality, lean ground-beef or lamb
  • 1 Tbsp. neutral vegetable oil plus more for deep frying
  • 2 cups bulgur wheat, dry (trigo para quibe)
  • 2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Pour the bulgur wheat into a large mixing bowl. Pour 2 cups of room-temperature water over it. Let stand for approximately 45 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
  2. Heat the 1Tbsp. of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the 1.5 lbs of ground meat, half the chopped garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until the meat loses all traces of pinkness and the mixture moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat, and stir in half of the parsley. Reserve.
  3. In the mixing bowl, add the remaining half pound of ground meat to the bulgur wheat, then stir in the remaining parsley and chopped garlic, the mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with the hands until you have a homogeneous mass. The mixture should be very homogeneous, so be sure to mix very well.
  4. Have a cookie sheet ready. Remove approximately 1 Tbsp. of the meat-bulgur mix from the mixing bowl and roll into a ball shape in your hands. Cup the ball in the palm of one hand, and with the other, form a pocket in it. Fill the pocket with the cooked ground meat, then close the pocket over this mixture. Reform into ball or torpedo shape in your hand. Place the completed kibbeh on the cookie sheet, then continue this process until you have used all of the mixture. Reserve.
  5. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep frying pan until it is hot but not smoking. Fry the kibbehs a few at a time (don't overcrowd the fryer) until they are dark brown and crisp on the outside. Remove to a cookie sheet lined with paper towel, to drain excess oil. Continue until all the kibbehs have been fried.
  6. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges and,tahini or tzatziki sauce.