Mince

Baked Beef Kibbeh with Muhammara

Name: Baked Beef Kibbeh with Muhammara
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 min
Yield: 6 people
Ingredients: 400 g minced meat; 1 cup coarse bulgur wheat; 2 cups water; Salt; Olive oil; Kibbeh Filling:; 2 onions, chopped; Olive oil; 50 g pine nuts; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Muhammara (roasted red pepper pesto):; 4 red peppers; 2 garlic cloves; 4 Tbsp. olive oil; 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses; 2 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1/2 cup walnuts; 1/2 cup bread crumbs; 1/2 cup parsley; 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

If using fine bulgur wheat do not cook it, only soak it in cold water for 10 minutes and then drain off excess water before adding it to the beef.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/430°F.
Place the peppers on a baking tray and coat them with olive oil and roast until the peppers' skins blister and darken, about 20 to 30 minutes. When they are ready, remove from the oven, place them into a packet or zip lock bag and leave to sweat until ready to use.
In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to the boil, remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of bulgur wheat. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain any excess water and leave to cool.
For the kibbeh filling, heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the pine nuts until golden. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
Combine the raw minced meat and cooked bulgur wheat and in two batches add to a food processor/blender and blend to form a paste. Add 2 or 3 ice blocks to the food processor each time to keep the beef cool. Season well with salt.
Reduce the oven heat to 200°C/390°F. Brush a pie dish or medium to large oven-proof dish with oil and spread half the beef paste into the dish, pressing it down with your fingers. Cover this layer with the filling and then spread the remaining half of the beef paste on top of the filling.
Make a hole in the middle of the dish with your finger and using the tip of a knife trace horizontal and vertical lines on the beef to create a decorative pattern.
Drizzle olive oil all over the top of the dish and cook in the already pre-heated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown in colour.
Remove the skins and all the seeds from the peppers, leaving only the flesh. Put the roasted peppers into a food processor/blender with the remaining muhammara ingredients and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and optional garnishes of fresh parsley leaves and pomegranate jewels.
Remove the kibbeh from the oven, cut into slices and serve with the muhammara dip.