Lebanese Kebbe bel Saniye (aka kebbe in a pan)

How to:

• Mix the dry burghol with the spices and the salt. Rub in the pepper paste with your fingers, if using. Then add the water and set aside for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, cook the filling. Start by sautéeing the onion with 1 tbsp of oil and when it’s well cooked add the meat, the spices, and the salt. Cook through but don’t dry it very much as you will bake it gain. Add roasted pine nuts to the meat and set aside.
• Take the burghol and mix it by hand with the kebbe shell meat. It will mix, but to really make it intertwine with the burghol you will need a food processor. This grinds the fine meat even finer and makes the shell resemble a dough. Depending on the size of your food processor, you will either work in 2 batches or more. Mine is on the smaller side so I work in about 4 batches. Place the meat / burghol mix and process adding 2-3 tbsp of icy water while the machine is running. When the meat comes together in a ball you will know that it’s ready. Repeat the process until all the meat / burghol mix is used.
• Brush the bottom of your kebbe pans (I use round Pyrex dishes) with oil. Then you have 2 options, either roll your kebbe shell meat between 2 layers of baking paper and then fix it the pan, or using your hands flatten the meat piece by piece until you’ve patched up all the bottom. Repeat the same for the bottom of your other pan.
• Add the filling to the middle, half in each pan bringing the sides slightly up. Then cover with the filling, using up half for each pan. Cover the filling with the shell, try as much as possible to seal the sides so the filling is in trapped the middle.
• Take a pairing knife and cut a pattern, this will help the kebbe cook and give it its authentic look. It could be any pattern that you like and find easy, as simple as little rectangles. Do not cut with a sawing motion but with a swift top to bottom move. While making the main lines that cut the kebbe into 8 pieces you can make deep cuts, but the decorative ones on in the middle of the pieces should only cut through the first layer of meat.
• Add oil, about 3-4 tablespoons on each pan and brush to cover the entire surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 40 minutes rotating the pans halfway. Serve with plain yoghurt, yoghurt and cucumber salad (similar to Greek Tzaziki), or with a salad with a refreshing citrusy salad. Some people said they serve it with tahini, that sounds so good I will definitely try that next time!