Baked Kibbeh

Rinse the fine bulgur, cover it with 300 ml hot water and leave for 15 minutes to let it absorb the liquid. Peel the onion and divide it in half: chop one half for the filling, and purée the other half for the dough.

For the filling, heat 30 ml oil in a skillet, add the pine nuts and fry for 2–3 minutes until golden. Transfer them to a plate, add the remaining chopped onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft.

Add 300 g ground beef to the onion, along with 1 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper, 0.5 tsp cinnamon and 0.25 tsp allspice. Cook for about 10 minutes, breaking up the meat, until it changes color and the excess moisture has evaporated. Stir in the pine nuts and let the filling cool.

For the dough, combine the softened bulgur, onion purée, 300 g ground beef, 1 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp cinnamon. Process the mixture in a food processor until it forms a smooth, elastic paste.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a baking dish with 15 ml oil. With wet hands, press half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the dish.

Spread the cooled meat filling on top. Flatten the remaining dough into small pieces with wet palms and layer them over the filling, joining the edges so the filling is completely enclosed. Smooth the top with a wet hand.

Using a sharp knife, cut through the kibbeh crosswise to form a diamond pattern, and brush the top with the remaining oil. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the surface is golden and the meat is fully cooked.

Let the dish rest for 10 minutes, then serve hot or at room temperature.