Kibbeh Nayeh

[Kibbee Nayee]

so..Are those apples? Forgive me if that's a stupid question. I just have never had the pleasure..

OK, you forced me. My mother's version started with the most impeccably perfect and fresh beef you can find, without any visible fat at all. Many versions use lamb, but bear with me here. We lived in Lancaster, PA, so we found a few Mennonite butchers who eventually came to know what kibbee is thanks to my mom. She would ask them to cut a fresh center cut from London Broil, and remove all visible fat. Then she brought it home, trimmed it more -- not a single white speck anywhere -- and in an impeccably clean grinder, she ground it three times. Then came her tricks -- grated onions, dried parsley, spices like allspice and cinnamon, salt and pepper, and of course, pre-soaked bulgur cracked wheat (no. 1 fine). Then came the kneading by hand, and of course, plenty of tasting by yours truly to make sure it was properly seasoned. The kneading went on for 10-15 minutes, then it was shaped into a perfect mound on a serving platter and crossed -- Syrian and Lebanese Christians always make an indent of a Cross with their hand in the raw Kibbee. Into the fridge to let it set up before serving, which had to be that day! (Leftovers are cooked and also pretty darned good.)

Wait, there's more! Most restaurants around here drizzle olive oil over top. Boring! Mom made "hushwah" which is chopped and sauteed onions and spices and pine nuts in a liberal amount of virgin olive oil, to be spooned over top of your portion when the kibbee is served. It was sensational. The hushwah could also have sauteed ground beef or lamb in it, even better because after dinner, the leftover kibbee was formed into footballs for cooking, and the hushwah was the stuffing inside of the footballs.

Wait, there's more! Nothing, I mean nothing, goes better with kibbee nayee than fresh raw vegetables. We're talking tomatoes, celery, green onions, petals of sweet onions, radishes, cucumbers....well, the only thing that actually goes better than fresh vegetables are the pickled turnips and olives. Lots and lots of olives. And don't forget pita bread!!!!

Add your favorite beverage and that's about as good as it gets.

I must admit that writing this has brought back some pleasant memories. Mom is 85 now and hasn't made kibbee nayee since she began worrying about her immunodeficiency issues and mad cow disease about a decade ago. I'm tempted to try it myself, but I need a good source of meat around these parts. Stay tuned.....

[pizza man]

It sounds wonderful! I love olives, and pickled vegetables..

When you get around to preparing the kibbee nayyee, you know where to find me..

[ScotteeM]

Wow! I just had a memory of eating kibbeh nayee in Detroit in 1979. It was the one and only time I've had it, and I loved it! I'll have to go in search of it now, or learn to make it myself.

Raw meats are an essential part of a well-rounded diet.

[Biotech]

Ok, I have a feeling I am going to get a lot of flack for this, but I have to ask... how can you be sure that you won't get sick from eating ground, raw beef/lamb? Yes, I eat sashimi, and I have eaten beef tartare. Is there any method for "curing" the meat to ensure safety?

ETA Disclaimer: I realize you can't be "sure you won't get sick" from eating any food, raw or cooked. However one could argue that most instances or e.coli and salmonella result from the improper handling of meat, poultry and vegetables, and ingestion of raw meats and poultry.

When my lebanese great aunts used to make this dish (every sunday for brunch) they would make sure they went to the same butcher, got the lamb that morning, ground it ice cold, and served it immediately. Leftovers were tossed or fried up on the spot.

I think a lot has to do with how the meat is processed and where it comes from. My aunts used to get the meat from a lebanes butcher in Newark, NJ whose reputation and livelihood was at stake if anyone got sick by his hand. I'm not sure I'd make kibbeh nayyeh without a reputable butcher I trusted.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Anthony Bourdain brought tears to my eyes tonight, with his return to Lebanon. He ate his way through this country as it was meant to be eaten through. He did it proud.

But even more importantly, he saved the best for last. He lifted kibbee nayeh to the pedestal of food appreciation it so richly deserves. He elevated it above every raw meat dish he has ever consumed, and he briefly encountered the deep love and devotion that this dish, as prepared by my grandmother and mother, provided me.

Welcome to my world, Anthony Bourdain. Let my parting meal from this life be a hearty mound of kibbee nayeh, a tall pour of arak, and the accompaniment of loved ones.

[Tweaked]

Anthony Bourdain brought tears to my eyes tonight, with his return to Lebanon. He ate his way through this country as it was meant to be eaten through. He did it proud.

But even more importantly, he saved the best for last. He lifted kibbee nayeh to the pedestal of food appreciation it so richly deserves. He elevated it above every raw meat dish he has ever consumed, and he briefly encountered the deep love and devotion that this dish, as prepared by my grandmother and mother, provided me.

Welcome to my world, Anthony Bourdain. Let my parting meal from this life be a hearty mound of kibbee nayeh, a tall pour of arak, and the accompaniment of loved ones.

Last night's No Reservations was a delicious looking episode!

[DonRocks]

"Why Lebanese Love Their Raw Kibbeh" by Maureen Abood, NPR.

[Kibbee Nayee]

"Why Lebanese Love Their Raw Kibbeh" by Maureen Abood, NPR.

I love the first comment after the story, and I wholeheartedly agree:

The entirety of the body of this story should have read

"Because it is freaking delicious. No really, go get some right now. Why are you still reading this? Go get some kibbeh."

Also, notice the cross imprinted in the kibbeh. That is the classic Orthodox Christian method of serving this dish.

[DonRocks]

I love the first comment after the story, and I wholeheartedly agree:

The entirety of the body of this story should have read

"Because it is freaking delicious. No really, go get some right now. Why are you still reading this? Go get some kibbeh."

Also, notice the cross imprinted in the kibbeh. That is the classic Orthodox Christian method of serving this dish.

It's really rather bland, you know.

[Kibbee Nayee]

It's really rather bland, you know.

Well, that depends. It occasionally is topped with onions and pine nuts sauteed in olive oil....the Lebanese are known to mix it with a mash of garlic. The accompaniments include all sorts of pickled and fresh veggies, especially pickled turnips and raw onion leaves for scooping. Olives are a must. So is fresh Syrian bread. Put it all together and it's a scrumptuous repast.

[zoramargolis]

I had a really flavorful version at Nora in Gainesville a week or so ago. It had a little raw onion and picked turnip with it, but alone, it was very good. Not bland at all due to a healthy addition of what my mom always referred to as "Syrian allspices" which are not the same as the allspice berry. I think the "allspices" are also referred to as "7 spices" but I have no idea what's in them.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lebanese-seven-spices/