How to Make Kibbeh: Fried Spiced Meatballs with Pine Nuts

Fried kibbeh (kibbeh qras) is the Lebanese mezze that disappears first. The shell is made from fine bulgur and very lean meat pounded together into a smooth dough; inside is hashweh, a filling of onions, minced meat, warm spices and toasted pine nuts. Shaped into little pointed ovals and fried until deep brown, they are on every mezze table, at weddings, birthdays and family lunches, and they freeze beautifully, so most homes keep a bag ready.

Shaping takes practice, but it is not hard: the trick is a thin, even shell and dough that is cold and smooth. If your first few look rustic, they will still taste right.

Ingredients

For the shell

• 250 g (1⅓ cups) fine bulgur (burghul number 1)
• 500 g (1 lb) very lean beef or lamb, ground twice
• 1 small onion, quartered
• A small handful (about 10 g) fresh basil or mint leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons Lebanese seven spices or kibbeh spice
• 60 to 120 ml (¼ to ½ cup) ice water

For the filling (hashweh)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup (35 g) pine nuts
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 250 g (½ lb) ground beef or lamb
• 1 teaspoon seven spices
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt

For frying

• About 1 litre (4 cups) neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola

Instructions

1. Make the filling first so it can cool. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and toast the pine nuts for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until golden. Lift them out.
2. Add the onion to the same pan and cook for 8 minutes, until soft and turning golden. Add the meat, spices and salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it into small crumbs, until browned and dry. Stir in the pine nuts and let the filling cool completely.
3. Rinse the bulgur, cover it with cold water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze it very dry by the handful.
4. Pulse the onion, herbs, salt and spices in a food processor to a paste. Add the meat and process for 1 minute. Add the bulgur and process again, adding ice water a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and pliable and holds together like soft clay. Work in two batches if your processor is small.
5. Chill the dough for 20 minutes. Set out a bowl of iced water.
6. With wet hands, roll about 40 g (1½ oz, a heaped tablespoon and a half) of dough into an egg shape. Hold it in one palm and push the index finger of the other hand into it. Rotate the ball against your finger, pressing gently, to hollow it into a thin shell about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick.
7. Spoon in about 1 tablespoon of filling, pinch the opening closed, and roll the kibbeh between your palms to form a smooth oval with pointed ends. Smooth any cracks with a wet finger. Repeat to make about 24.
8. Heat the oil in a deep pot to 175 to 180°C (350°F). If you have no thermometer, a cube of bread should brown in about 40 seconds.
9. Fry 6 to 8 kibbeh at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep brown and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Let the oil come back to temperature between batches.

Tips for the best kibbeh

• The ratio matters: about two parts meat to one part bulgur by weight. Too much bulgur gives a dry, cracking shell.
• Very lean meat is essential for a smooth shell. Ask the butcher to remove all fat.
• Keep your hands wet and the dough cold; that is how you get thin shells without tearing.
• Make sure the filling is completely cool and dry, or the steam will crack the shells in the oil.

Variations

• Baked kibbeh balls: brush with olive oil and bake on a lined tray at 200°C (400°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until browned.
• Kibbeh in yogurt: make smaller round balls and simmer them in a garlic and mint yogurt sauce.
• Tray kibbeh (kibbeh bil saniyeh): press half the dough into an oiled tray, spread the filling, top with the rest, score into diamonds and bake.

How to serve and store

Serve warm with Lebanese cucumber and yogurt sauce, lemon wedges and a fresh salad. To freeze, lay the shaped, uncooked kibbeh on a tray, freeze until firm, then bag them for up to 3 months. Fry straight from frozen at 170°C (340°F) for 6 to 7 minutes so the centre heats through.

The bulgur makes or breaks the shell, so look for fine burghul from a Lebanese mill like Al Najjar Modern Mills. For the filling, Lebanese pine nuts from Baladi Gourmet are worth the splurge.

Frequently Asked Questions