Lebanese Kibbeh With Bison, Pine Nuts And Fragrant Spices
Kibbeh is a traditional Lebanese food that consists of a dough made from finely ground spiced meat and bulgur wheat. The filling inside is made of onion, meat, fragrant toasted pine nuts and spices. The kibbeh are deep fried to a perfect golden brown and served with tahini or plain yogurt on the side. It’s the national dish of Lebanon and once you try it, you’ll understand why. Kibbeh is irresistibly spiced with incredible savory flavor, a light crunch on the outside and satisfying meaty filling. The toasted pine nuts (one of my favorite smells on earth, by the way) truly take the flavor to a whole new level. If you don’t have pine nuts, I’d suggest simply skipping them rather than replacing with a different nut. Your kibbeh will still be delicious. Kibbeh is most often made with beef or lamb. I decided to use ground bison but any of our ground meats would be great!
Also Read: British Toad-In-The-Hole With Hickory Smoked Bison Sausage
Free Range Bison, Raised The Way Nature Intended
Our bison live free range on 20,000 beautiful acres here in New Mexico, or roam freely on our carefully selected partner ranches. They are pasture raised and never administered any amount of hormones, steroids or antibiotics. These are powerful, strong animals that live essentially wild with minimal handling. There were once 60 million bison roaming North America, and we hope to see their numbers increase back to even 1 million during our lifetime. By increasing the demand for ethically sourced bison meat, we can help to bolster their population. The more people that want to purchase this nourishing and nutrient dense meat, the more farmers will be encouraged to raise bison. This directly helps to increase the number of herds which assists in providing genetic diversity for the population.
Also Read: South Asian Burmese Curry Stew With Pasture Raised Bison
Ingredients:
For the kibbeh dough:
- 2 ½ cups fine or extra fine bulgur wheat
- Water
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 ½ pounds ground bison
- 2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Bison tallow or other oil for frying
Also Read: Instant Pot BBQ Brisket With Bison Or American Wagyu Beef
For the filling:
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- ½ pound ground bison
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 tablespoon bison tallow
- 2 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
- Tahini and/or plain yogurt (optional)
Also Read: Recipe: Korean Bibimbap Bowls With Bison Sirloin Steak
How To Make Kibbeh With Pasture Raised Bison?
Instructions:
- Wrap a metal strainer with a cheesecloth and place inside a bowl (you can find cheesecloth at most grocery stores). A thin, clean kitchen towel will also do the trick. Add the bulgur into the prepared strainer and cover with water. Soak for approximately 20 minutes, then use the cheesecloth to squeeze out as much water as possible. Set the bulgur aside.
- To make the kibbeh dough, add the quartered onion, 1 ½ pounds ground bison, allspice, coriander, cinnamon, fresh mint and a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to a food processor. Use the food processor until the meat is ground very fine. Then, empty the contents of the food processor into a large mixing bowl. Add the bulgur wheat to the bowl and use your hands to mix just until combined. Cover and store in the refrigerator to chill (you’ll want the dough to be very cold when working with it later).
- To make the filling, heat the tablespoon of bison tallow in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently for approximately 5 minutes, then add in the ½ pound ground bison. Cook just until the meat is browned. Add in the allspice, cinnamon and toasted pine nuts. Season as desired with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir. Set the filling aside so that it can cool enough to handle with your hands.
- To stuff the kibbeh, prepare your workstation. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a small bowl with water to use for dampening your hands while stuffing the kibbeh. Take the chilled kibbeh dough out of the refrigerator. With damp hands, take about 2 tablespoons of dough and form a flat circle. Make a nest in the center of the dough for the filling. Add about a tablespoon of filling and then seal the dough all the way around, creating a football shaped finished product. As you finish stuffing the kibbeh, set them on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process until you’ve stuffed all the kibbeh.
- Chill the kibbeh for a minimum of one hour.
- Fry the kibbeh. Heat bison tallow or other oil for frying (I like safflower oil) in a deep skillet. When it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit (either use a thermometer or aim for oil that is gently bubbling), fry the kibbeh. Work in batches, cooking each batch on all sides for a total of about five minutes. Remove the fried kibbeh from the skillet using a slotted spoon or tongs. Set them on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
- Serve and enjoy! Add tahini sauce or plain yogurt on the side if desired.