Servings: 8servings, depending on how you cut the pieces
Author: Maureen Abood
We’re using the same recipe as for the 13x9x2 kibbeh sahnieh, but now we’re flattening the layers so the quantity still works even though the pan here is bigger. Get my kibbeh spice, plus the fine bulgur and Lebanese olive oil in the Maureen Abood Market Kibbeh Kits.
To make the househ filling, in a large frying pan, heat the neutral or olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and about a half teaspoon of the salt and sauté until soft. Add the ground beef and season with cinnamon, another half teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a metal spoon into smaller bits as it cooks. Squeeze the lemon juice over the househ, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in the pine nuts and set aside.
Coat a 14-inch round cake pan with olive oil.
To make the bottom layer of the kibbeh, use about ¼ cup of kibbeh at a time and flatten to about ¼-inch thickness between the palms of your hands. Press the flat piece into the bottom of the pan. Do this repeatedly, smoothing the flat pieces together with your hands that have been moistened in ice water and sealing all fissures, until the bottom of the pan is filled with a flat layer of kibbeh.
Spoon the househ filling evenly over the kibbeh, including some of the meaty, lemony juices.
Make the top layer of the kibbeh the same as the bottom layer, forming flat pieces and laying them over the filling close together. Smooth the pieces with your hands moistened in ice water to seal all fissures. Smooth the kibbeh around the perimeter of the pan as well.
To cut the kibbeh, make an actual-sized drawing of the design on a sheet of newspaper to practice the design. Rather than describe here, I’ll direct you to the video above to see how it’s done!
Bake the kibbeh for about 40 minutes, then brush the top with olive oil. Continue baking about 10 more minutes, or until browned. Turn on the broiler and broil the top of the kibbeh for a couple of minutes, until the top layer has a deeply browned crust to it.
Serve the kibbeh warm, cutting along the scored diamonds to serve.