Kibbeh Meatballs - Baked or Fried

Kibbeh is a dish made with lamb or beef, burghul (cracked wheat) and pine nuts. Very popular in Israel, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. It can be eaten baked or fried.

Ingredients
For the kibbeh:
2 cups fine burghul (cracked wheat, #1 smead)
1 pound ground lamb or beef
1 medium onion chopped fine 3 to 4 tsp Zamouri Spices Kibbeh Spice Mix
1/2 glass water
For the filling: ½ pound ground lamb or beef
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp allspice
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation
Kibbeh (Crust) - Put the burghul in the bowl, cover with cold water and let stand for 15 mins. Drain burghul and squeeze in hands to soften. Place the lamb or beef in food processor and mince to fine paste. Add the remainder of the ingredients (adding water a little at a time) to the blender and mix. Remove and keep aside.
Filling - Heat oil in pan, add onions and cook till soft. Add nuts, cook until lightly browned. Add lamb or beef and spices, cook, stirring until meat is browned.

Baked Kibbeh
Divide the kibbeh into 2 equal portions. Flatten one portion on an oiled medium sized oven tray. Spread the filling. Flatten the other portion of kibbeh using wet hands and layer on top of the filling. Shape into diamond shapes using sharp knife. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil with some small lumps of butter (equivalent in total to 1 tbs) over the top. Place in the middle shelf of oven and bake on moderate heat for 40 - 50 minutes or until the top browns. Drain excess oil. Serve hot with salad.

Fried Kibbeh
Shape 1/4 cups of kibbeh into balls using damp hands. Hollow out the centers. Using your thumb, press a rounded teaspoon (or more) of filling inside. Shape into ovals. Now deep-fry the kibbeh in hot oil (in batches) until browned all over and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with appetizers (mezze) and salads.