We grew up exposed to a lot of Middle Eastern food. We could buy them everywhere back in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This recipe is a “simpler” version of quibe or kibbeh since it does not require much assembly and instead of frying small portion, we just bake it, which is much healthier. I like to use bulgur # 2 since the grains are not so finely crushed.
Ingredients:
1 ½ lb lean ground beef
¾ cup bulgur cut #2
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground all spice
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped green onion
Method:
Soak the bulgur in cold water for approximately 1 ½ hours. Drain the water by squeezing out the excess of water. Mix the bulgur to the ground beef and add all the others ingredients.
In a pyrex, gently press the ground beef and bulgur mix. Bake in 350 F for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm with lemon, yogurt or hot sauce.
Did you know that bulgur is a cereal made from a mix of several different species of wheat? Mainly from durum wheat, which is high in protein and gluten, therefore bulgur contains more nutrition than rice. Bulgur is a common ingredient in Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine.
