Have You Heard of These Lebanese Minced Lamb Dishes?

By
Rene L
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Lebanon is renowned for its delicious national dishes the world over. But not many people know that they can also prepare these excellent dishes in their own homes. Let’s take a look at four of the tastiest minced lamb dishes that you can try in your own kitchen.

Sfiha

Sfiha is an open-faced minced lamb pie that’s usually consumed as a hot snack. The pie is often topped with lamb, chopped onions, tomatoes, spices, olive oil, and yogurt. For extra freshness, sprinkle on some coriander and chopped cucumbers.

Kibbeh

Kibbeh (meaning to form a ball or circular shape) is a special mixture of bulgur wheat and lamb meat. It can be eaten raw, baked, fried, or stuffed with potatoes, pumpkins, or tomatoes.

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Tips for making Bulgur Köftesi. The full method is on my highlights but I wanted to share a few tips with you if you’ve never made them before, of if you’ve had trouble making them in the past. •Because I make my bulgur casing solely from bulgur and boiling hot water, it is imperative to use EXTRA FINE Bulgur (Köftelik Ince Bulgur – Içliköftelik) to get the correct consistency. You cannot just use fine bulgur; when the softened EXTRA fine bulgur releases the gluten, small grains come together to create a much more pliable dough. Once you have let the bulgur dough settle for a few hours, you need to KNEAD, KNEAD, KNEAD. I wear gloves so I can really get stuck in. •Make sure your filling is not too wet or hot. Keep cooking the filling until all the moisture has pretty much gone (good quality mince releases less water when cooked). The filling should be lovely and moist, especially from the softened onions, but not wet. If there’s too much liquid in the filling, the moisture will seep through into the bulgur and could cause your bulgur Koftesi to go soggy, and consequently split in the pan when frying. •Cool that filling DOWN. DO NOT fill the Köfte with hot or warm filling otherwise, again, the hot filling could cause the bulgur Köftesi to split when cooking. The filling must be COMPLETELY cooled. •Hot oil. Make sure the oil is super hot before you carefully pop the Bulgur Köftesi in. I fry a little piece of rolled bulgur wheat first to check that the oil is not enough. •I always use a deep non-stock frying pan when frying the köfte, as that’s what works for me. The pan needs to be deep enough to fully cover the Köfte in oil when they are cooking for a full, even colour (you may still need to turn them halfway through, but do not do this until the bulgur has crisped up and has gone a lovely golden brown colour). •DO NOT overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, or the köfte, I never put more than 3 or 4 Köfte in at any one time. There should be ample space around each of Köfte. If you’re not sure how many to put in, just do two at a time: it might take a little longer, but you’ll be grateful that you did! #melizcooks #bulgurköftesi

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Manakish

A breakfast favorite in Lebanon, Manakish is a flatbread that’s typically glazed with olive oil, minced lamb, spinach, sesame seeds, thyme, and sumac before being baked in the oven. It’s often served with cheese to add that extra punch.

Shawarma

Shawarma is popular all over the Middle Eastern Region. They are made with succulent lamb, turkey, beef, chicken, or a mix of meats that have been slow-roasted for hours after being marinated for around two days. The marinades are typically yogurt-based and include spices such as cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, garlic, and paprika. The meat is often chopped up and served in toasted pita bread.