Kibbeh Bil Sanieh (baked kibbeh in a pan) is a middle eastern version of shepherd's pie. It’s a simplified and healthier version of everyone’s favorite, fried kibbeh.
I used a 9-inch springform pan for this recipe. This recipe will yield 2 pies or 1 pie and some regular, fried ones too if you want to make a few.
Ingredients
Meat Filling (Tadbileh)
- 1/5 cup oil avocado, canola, olive
- 1 ½ large onions chopped finely
- 1 pound ground beef lean, not extra lean
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup pine nuts plus more for decorating
Dough
- 3 cups fine bulgur
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/3 cup oil from your meat see below in directions
- 1 cup water for dough not for filling
Instructions
- Prepare meat filling. Sauté chopped onions in oil until translucent. Add ground beef and begin to separate and mix. Add salt, pepper and pine nuts.
- Cook on a low to medium flame mixing continuously uncovered for 12 minutes. Remove and strain your meat, saving the oil as you will need it for your dough. (This adds incredible flavor to your dough and I consider it to be liquid gold.) If your meat didn’t release any oils, you can use regular oil for your dough. Set aside to cool.
- Wash and rinse out Bulgur a couple times using a fine strainer. This is sometimes a dirty and dusty grain and it’s best to wash well. Place your washed and drained Bulgur in a bowl and fill with water (room temp) just slightly under the line of the Bulgur. Allow to soak up all the water until it ultimately dries up.
- Add flour, salt, pepper, cumin, tomato paste, ⅓ cup oil from meat and water into bulgur. Mix and knead dough until it feels like an actual dough. If needed, set aside covered for about 15-20 minutes to come together.
- No matter what size pan or shape you use, you want to brush the bottom with your liquid gold or any oil. Brush thoroughly and on the sides too. Press dough into the bottom of your pan. Not too thick. About 1/2 inch thick.
- Cover your entire surface with the dough. Place meat filling right on top and smooth it out. Now take small pieces of your dough into your hands and flatten them out. You may need to use some water or even the oil to help you do this. Place pieces of dough over your meat and slowly begin to cover it. Piece by piece as you cover the entire pan. Smooth it out using your fingers. Brush with more oil.
- Using a sharp paring knife, cut your pie into eighths. Then make two diagonal cuts down on each eighth. Place one pine nut into each shape. Bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ about 45 minutes. Serve hot with a side of tahini.
