My great-grandfather came from Lebanon and settled in Nebraska.  That makes me about 1/8th Lebanese so I guess I have to have a favorite Lebanese dish and this is it.  My father told me about Kibbeh when I was young and how he would eat it as a boy.  We used to buy it from a Syrian man in Texas when I was in high school and I became addicted and learned my own.  This meal is teaming with flavor.

 

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 40 min

Wait time: 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

 

Ingredients

  • Kibbeh
    • 1 lb lean ground beef
    • 1/8 lb pine nuts
    • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
    • 2 tsp rosemary
    • 2 tsp basil
    • 2 tsp thyme leaves
    • 2 cloves minced garlic
    • Salt
    • Pepper
  • Hummus
    • 1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
    • 3 tbsp tahini
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 cloves minced garlic
    • 1 tbsp Cavender’s Greek Seasoning
    •  Salt
    •  Pepper
    • 1 tsp Paprika
  • Pita Bread
    • 3 cups flour
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • Warm Water

    Preheat oven to 450

    Kibbeh

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into balls and place in muffin tins bake at 450 degrees until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160.   True Kibbeh  has soaked bulgur added to it, as any true Lebanese would know, but since I’m only 1/8th I figure i have artistic license.  Besides this way makes it a little simpler and tastier.

Hummus

Mix all ingredients and blend in a food processor until smooth.

This hummus is dusted with paprika a few chick peas and pine nuts.

Pita

Mix all the dry ingredients. Then add water til the dough sticks together. It is better to make it a little sticky, it rises better.  Knead for a minute or two to make sure it is a smooth dough.  Then break it into 8 or so even sized balls. Let them sit for 1/2 hr. Roll them out to 1/8 inch thick or so. Put your top oven rack as high as it can go. This is the fun part, at least for me. Place the rolled out pita on a cookie sheet directly under the broiler then  watch it until it stops rising or gets some brown spots which ever comes first, the rising always amazes me, I guess simple things really amaze simple minds. Then flip and let it do the same. Then pull it out and enjoy.

The moisture from the water causes steam to form, the gluten proteins form a structure strong enough to encapsulate the air and making the bread “rise”.  Over kneading the dough causes excessive gluten formation and can toughen the pita bread, no kneading can result in no gluten and a weak and crumbly pita.  Gluten is really non existent in  plain flour, but is a formed when water is mixed with flour and the two proteins (glutenin and gliadin)  combine.

The white sauce is Tzatziki. It is yogurt, plain – not vanilla or strawberry or the awesome black cherry Greek Gods (drool) with grated cucumber and a small spoonful of garlic.  This dish goes well with my stuffed roma tomatoes (seriously those are great).