# Feed me culture!



## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

Hello all. 
So in this thread you are all welcome to share traditional recipes inspired from your countries, cultures even your trips, vacations or stayings or other countries!
I am from Cyprus, we do have a cuisine and some tradition to share aswell while on this thread!
Bring it on!


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## aliphares (Jan 7, 2018)

Just try our food from across the pond, here in Lebanon!


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

aliphares said:


> Just try our food from across the pond, here in Lebanon!


I did try some of your traditional deserts and a bread and they are very unique and interesting. Never tried a meal tho, do you mind sharing your favorite lebanese recipe?


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## aliphares (Jan 7, 2018)

Alexec said:


> I did try some of your traditional deserts and a bread and they are very unique and interesting. Never tried a meal tho, do you mind sharing your favorite lebanese recipe?


The quintessential leb food (aside from the general levantine foods like kebabs and hummus and all that) is probably kibbeh. Which is a patty of meat and burgul (cracked wheat) stuffed minced beef. Either in balls or like a layer of mince in between two layers of patty. Then fried and served with basically our version of tzatziki.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

I love Kibbeh.......I have an acquaintance from Lebanon and she authored a cookbook that I use a lot. The stuffed grape leaves are fantastic and I never had a more smooth Hummus before until I learned to peel the garbanzo beans first. Also learned how to make Pita at home in my own oven.


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

Do you guys mind shareing recipes?


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## toddhicks209 (Nov 14, 2017)

Alexec said:


> Hello all.
> So in this thread you are all welcome to share traditional recipes inspired from your countries, cultures even your trips, vacations or stayings or other countries!
> I am from Cyprus, we do have a cuisine and some tradition to share aswell while on this thread!
> Bring it on!


What types of food do you eat there?


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## markos sdranis (Dec 28, 2017)

Γεια σου αλεξ.



aliphares said:


> The quintessential leb food (aside from the general levantine foods like kebabs and hummus and all that) is probably kibbeh. Which is a patty of meat and burgul (cracked wheat) stuffed minced beef. Either in balls or like a layer of mince in between two layers of patty. Then fried and served with basically our version of tzatziki.


My grandma is from lebanon beirut, she always pronounces it kebeh. I'd like to try your recipe as the way she makes it is some kind of dough and on top of that minced lamb mixed with beef. I always find it dry as hell unless I smother it in tzatziki and I don't think that's the way it should be.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

markos sdranis said:


> Γεια σου αλεξ.
> 
> My grandma is from lebanon beirut, she always pronounces it kebeh. I'd like to try your recipe as the way she makes it is some kind of dough and on top of that minced lamb mixed with beef. I always find it dry as hell unless I smother it in tzatziki and I don't think that's the way it should be.


Different kinds of Kibbeh...Yours sounds baked not raw. It would be dry, and I would slobber it with Tzatziki too. The one I learned to make had grated onion mixed with raw lean lamb. (I used leg meat)


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## aliphares (Jan 7, 2018)

There's many many kinds of kebeh / kibbeh. The raw meat one is one. The usual baked one is the one you meantioned. It is dry, but it's delicious. And how dry it gets is up to you. Just like bacon it can be either crispy and dry or slightly less and more tender/chewy. You're supposed to slather it with tzatziki and the combination tastes amazing.


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## markos sdranis (Dec 28, 2017)

Yes she bakes it, it's gotten a bit better with a half fatty pork half lamb mix but I feel it's not traditional. 

I just remembered she also makes kibbeh the way you described, the same dough acts as a shell and she stuffs it with the mixture, except the ground meat is sauted with onions and garlic and then the entire thing gets deep fried.


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## aliphares (Jan 7, 2018)

As for the requested recipe. Here's the classic one we always make. It's my probably my favorite Lebanese dish.
It can be either made into balls stuffed with mine and deep fried or sandiwched between two layers and shallow fried in the oven.
For starters you need burgul, a type of cracked wheat. We use fine burgul not the coarse stuff for this. You're going to add a bit of water and mix it well and let it sit till it soaks it. You don't need a lot of water, just enough so that the mix isn't dry. If you feel it soaked it all just add more till it's basically barely wet sand. Then comes the only laboring part. You have to kneed the burgul for a good amount of time. Mash it and crumble it and keep going till it eventually forms a paste, and stops being crumbly. When it does you add your beef. The beef is pounded till it's a paste. Not sure if that's a thing in other countries but you're gonna need that. About 200g of beef for every cup of burgul. A kilo of beef and 5 cups of burgul will make a reeaaally big tray. It'll feed 10 people probably. Add salt and pepper generously. 

As for the mince, it's traditionally just beef, even though some people prefer lamb or a mix. We usually get minced beef, about half the amount of the pounded meat above should be enough for the filling. Sautee with a lot of minced onions and a bit of garlic. We also add pine seeds and/or walnuts, and season it with salt and a lot of pepper, a small amount of cinnamon, some allspice, and then when you turn off the heat add sumac to it. Taste and fix the spices to your liking. This mince is amazing over hummus by the way. 
Anyways now comes the building part. Oil a pan with some neutral oil and lay a layer of the "dough" then add the mince then the second layer of the dough. Keep a bowl of water near by to wet your hands constantly so that they don't stick. After you're done cut up the tray into long slim pizza triangles or criss cross the whole thing into a diamond pattern. Make sure you cut all the way. Add more oil to the top. You don't want it swimming in oil but it should be almost enough to shallow fry, you need to see it shining on top after making sure it seeped through everything. Stick it in an oven at around 180C and let it fry till it turns brown and starts to crisp up on the edges to your own liking. Alternatively you can hollow out balls of dough and stuff them and make it into a rhombus-like shape and deep fry it as an appetizer instead. Either way you're going to need tzatziki with it. And that's pretty much it.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Alexec said:


> Do you guys mind sharing recipes?


You will get more results if you put the name of the recipe in the subject header.

mimi


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I was taught to add salt to the bulgar soaking water.
Much like pasta (or rice/grits/other cereals), it is the last best chance to get some flavor in.
FWIW.
mimi


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## aliphares (Jan 7, 2018)

We


flipflopgirl said:


> I was taught to add salt to the bulgar soaking water.
> Much like pasta (or rice/grits/other cereals), it is the last best chance to get some flavor in.
> FWIW.
> mimi


 We add salt directly to the mix at the end instead, but both can work 
Since kibbe is also eaten raw as well we just try it and see if it needs more salt.


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