Lebanese Kibbeh bil Laban (Stuffed Kibbeh Simmered in Garlic-Mint Yogurt)

Name: Lebanese Kibbeh bil Laban (Stuffed Kibbeh Simmered in Garlic-Mint Yogurt)
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 41 min
Total time: 1 h 31 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 1¼ cups (200 g) fine bulgur (#1), rinsed in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water; 2 cups (480 ml) cold water, for soaking the bulgur; 14 oz (400 g) lean lamb leg, trimmed of fat and sinew, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, very cold; 3 oz (80 g) small yellow onion, peeled and quartered; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ½ cup (120 ml) ice water, with ice cubes, for the shell and for wetting hands; 7 oz (200 g) ground lamb, at room temperature is fine; 5 oz (150 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¼-inch / 6 mm pieces); 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbsp (30 g) pine nuts; ½ tsp (1 g) ground allspice; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground cinnamon; ¾ tsp (4½ g) fine sea salt; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 3¾ cups (900 g) full-fat plain yogurt, cold from the fridge, stirred smooth; 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch; 2¼ cups (540 ml) cold water, 60 ml for the cornstarch slurry, 480 ml for thinning the yogurt; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt; 5 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a paste with the salt; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; 3 tbsp (45 g) ghee or extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp (4 g) dried mint, crumbled between your fingers

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender lamb-and-bulgur kibbeh balls stuffed with spiced meat and toasted pine nuts, poached in a silky, tangy yogurt sauce and finished with sizzling garlic and dried mint. Serve with plain rice for a comforting Lebanese family meal.

Prep: 50 min
Cook: 41 min
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 2 hr 31 min
Makes: 24 stuffed kibbeh balls in sauce (6 servings, 4 balls each)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the kibbeh shell
1¼ cups (200 g) fine bulgur (#1), rinsed in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water
2 cups (480 ml) cold water, for soaking the bulgur
14 oz (400 g) lean lamb leg, trimmed of fat and sinew, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, very cold
3 oz (80 g) small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
½ cup (120 ml) ice water, with ice cubes, for the shell and for wetting hands
For the filling
7 oz (200 g) ground lamb, at room temperature is fine
5 oz (150 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¼-inch / 6 mm pieces)
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp (30 g) pine nuts
½ tsp (1 g) ground allspice
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon
¾ tsp (4.5 g) fine sea salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground
For the yogurt sauce
3¾ cups (900 g) full-fat plain yogurt, cold from the fridge, stirred smooth
2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
2¼ cups (540 ml) cold water, 60 ml for the cornstarch slurry, 480 ml for thinning the yogurt
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
For the garlic-mint finish
5 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a paste with the salt
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
3 tbsp (45 g) ghee or extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (4 g) dried mint, crumbled between your fingers

Equipment (9)

Food processor
Large mixing bowl
Medium skillet (10-inch / 25 cm)
Wide 5-quart (4.7 L) heavy pot or Dutch oven
Rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Fine-mesh strainer
Wooden spoon
Small saucepan or skillet (for the garlic-mint finish)
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Keep the lamb for the shell in the refrigerator until the moment you use it. Cold meat makes a smooth, pliable shell that doesn't turn greasy.
Ask your butcher to grind the shell lamb twice, or plan to process it in a food processor as written. Use lean lamb leg (or lean beef) for the shell.
Use full-fat plain yogurt with no added thickeners or sweeteners. Low-fat yogurt is more likely to split.
Fill a bowl with ice water for wetting your hands while shaping. Wet hands stop the shell from sticking.
Plan on about 2½ hours in total. Much of that is hands-off soaking, cooling and chilling.

1
Soak the bulgur
- Place the rinsed fine bulgur in a medium bowl and pour over the 2 cups (480 ml) cold soak water.
- Let it stand for 15 minutes.
- Drain in a fine-mesh strainer, then squeeze handfuls firmly to remove as much water as you can.
- Set aside in the strainer.
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Ready when: Grains are tender but still slightly chewy, and the squeezed bulgur feels damp, not wet
Tip: Squeeze well. Extra water makes the shell mushy and prone to cracking when poached.
2
Cook the filling
- Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the pine nuts and cook 1 minute until lightly golden.
- Add the ground lamb, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
- Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until no pink remains and the liquid has evaporated.
- Spread on a plate to cool.
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Ready when: Meat is browned and crumbly, the pan is dry, and the pine nuts are golden
Tip: Pour off any excess fat before cooling. A dry filling keeps the kibbeh from bursting.
3
Make the shell dough
- Put the cold cubed lamb, quartered onion, salt, allspice, cinnamon and pepper in a food processor.
- Pulse in short bursts for about 1 minute until the mixture is a fine, pasty paste.
- Add the squeezed bulgur and ¼ cup (60 ml) of the ice water.
- Process for 30 to 45 seconds more, scraping the bowl once, until the mixture is very smooth and sticks together like a thick paste.
- Work in two batches if your processor is small.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, tacky and holds together when pressed, with no visible lumps of meat
Tip: If the dough feels sticky or warm, chill it for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ice water a tablespoon at a time only if it feels stiff.
4
Shape the kibbeh
- Keep the remaining ice water nearby and wet your hands.
- Divide the dough into 24 portions of about 2 tablespoons (35 g) each.
- Roll one portion into a ball, press a thumb into the center and gently work it into a thin-walled cup.
- Spoon in about 1 tablespoon (10 to 12 g) of filling, then pinch the edges closed.
- Smooth and roll into a neat ball or a slightly pointed oval.
- Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with the rest.
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Ready when: Each ball is fully sealed with no cracks and a smooth surface
Tip: Patch any cracks with a dab of wet dough, otherwise the filling will leak into the sauce.
5
Chill the kibbeh
- Refrigerate the baking sheet, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- This firms the shells so they hold their shape in the simmering yogurt.
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Ready when: Balls feel firm to the touch
Tip: Use this time to crush the garlic and measure out the mint.
6
Stabilize the yogurt
- In a wide 5-quart (4.7 L) pot, whisk the cornstarch with ¼ cup (60 ml) of the sauce water until no lumps remain.
- Add the yogurt, the remaining 2 cups (480 ml) cold water and the salt.
- Whisk until completely smooth.
- Set the pot over medium heat and stir constantly in one direction with a wooden spoon for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce is steaming, slightly thickened and just starting to bubble at the edges.
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Ready when: Sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon and has just come to a gentle boil
Tip: Never stop stirring or change direction before it boils, or the yogurt may curdle. Start with cold yogurt and a cold pot.
7
Poach the kibbeh
- Reduce the heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles.
- Gently lower the chilled kibbeh into the sauce one at a time, in a single layer if possible.
- Do not stir.
- Simmer uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes, gently nudging the pot or spooning sauce over the balls now and then.
- The kibbeh are done when they are firm, slightly puffed and an instant-read thermometer in the center of one reads 160°F (71°C).
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Ready when: Kibbeh are firm and float, with a center temperature of 160°F (71°C)
Tip: A hard boil can split the yogurt. Keep it at a lazy simmer with only a few small bubbles.
8
Sizzle garlic and mint
- While the kibbeh finish, melt the ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the crushed garlic paste and cook, stirring, for 45 to 60 seconds until fragrant and pale golden.
- Add the dried mint, stir for 10 seconds, then immediately pour the mixture into the yogurt.
- Swirl the pot gently and simmer 2 minutes.
- Serve hot in shallow bowls, with plain rice if you like.
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Ready when: Garlic smells sweet and is pale gold; mint is fragrant and not dark brown
Tip: Garlic turns bitter if browned, so pull the pan off the heat if it darkens quickly.

Good to know

Tips

Stir the yogurt in one direction only until it boils. This and the cornstarch are what keep it from curdling.
If the shell dough sticks to your hands, dip them in the ice water more often rather than adding flour.
Make a test ball first. Poach it in a little simmering water for 5 minutes to check the seasoning, then adjust the dough with a pinch of salt or allspice.
For a thinner sauce, stir in a few tablespoons of hot water at the end. The sauce thickens as it stands.

Make ahead

"Shape and fill the kibbeh up to 1 day ahead. Cover the tray loosely and refrigerate, or freeze on the tray until solid, then bag for up to 2 months and poach straight from frozen, adding about 10 minutes. The cooked filling can be made 2 days ahead and kept chilled."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: not recommended once cooked, because the yogurt sauce can separate. Reheat gently in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally, and add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened. Do not boil."

Substitutions

lean lamb leg → lean ground beef or beef sirloin. Beef gives a milder flavor. Use the same weight and keep it very cold.
pine nuts → slivered almonds or walnuts. Chop walnuts coarsely. Toast almonds in the pan with the onion until golden.
ghee or extra-virgin olive oil → extra-virgin olive oil. Same amount. Slightly less rich but still good.
cornstarch → 1 large egg white whisked into the yogurt, or 2 tbsp rice flour. Rice flour is used in the same quantity and cooked the same way. Egg white must be whisked in cold and stirred constantly until boiling.