How to Make Tray-Baked Kibbeh

Ingredients

• Dough (kibbeh shell):
• 1 kg ground meat
• 1 kg bulgur
• 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon seven-spice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Marjoram, to taste
• Filling:
• 500 g ground meat
• Salt, to taste
• Vegetable oil
• A pinch of seven-spice
• A pinch of cinnamon
• Pine nuts or almonds (or other nuts) for garnish, as desired

Method

1. Soak the bulgur until it is completely soft and the grains have swollen.
2. Drain it well and set aside.
3. In a frying pan over medium heat, finely chop one onion and sauté it in a little vegetable oil.
4. When the onion softens slightly, add 500 g of ground meat and season with seven-spice and ground cinnamon; adjust the salt and cook until the filling is done.
5. Squeeze the bulgur by hand to remove excess water, then add it to 1 kg of ground meat. Finely chop another onion, add spices and seasonings to taste, and begin working the mixture together by hand. Then process it in a kibbeh machine or a food processor (whichever you have) until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous kibbeh dough.
6. Divide the kibbeh dough into two portions. Lightly oil a baking tray and press the first portion evenly across the tray to form the base.
7. Spread the cooked filling evenly over the base, then cover with the second portion of the dough and smooth the surface.
8. Wet the tip of a knife with water and cut the tray into pieces as desired. Garnish with nuts such as pine nuts or almonds, if you like.
9. Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil (about 1 cup) over the surface to coat it lightly.
10. Place the tray-baked kibbeh directly in a preheated oven at 200°C (392°F) and bake for about 50 minutes, or adjust according to your oven.
    Timers: 50 min
11. Brown the top and serve the kibbeh with cucumber yogurt (labneh) or a green salad.
12. Tray-baked kibbeh, shared by a friend and contributor to the site
13. Zahle-Style Raw Kibbeh is also by Terez — click the link.
14. For more delicious meat recipes, see Armenian Sufyaha (Saj-style)