Basic kibbi mixture

Ingredients :

• approx. 4½ cups bur'ghul
• 1 leg of mutton to make approx. 1.5kg ground meat
• 3 medium onions
• 1 red pepper
• 1 tbsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tspn freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tspn mixed spice
• ½ tspn cinnamon
• iced water or ice

Preparation and Cooking Instructions

1. Wash the bur'ghul in cold water and drain well by squeezing water out with hands.
2. With a sharp knife remove the meat from the bone, then remove all fat and gristle from the meat. Grind the lean meat twice through the fine blade of a mincer.
3. Grind the onions and red pepper and knead them into the meat together with the salt, pepper, mixed spices and cinnamon.
4. Knead the bur'ghul into the meat mixture, adding an occasional tbsp of iced water or a small piece of ice to keep the mixture smooth and cold.
5. Put the kneaded mixture through the fine blade of the mincer twice. For the best results refrigerate in a covered container for 6-12 hours then knead again for a few minutes before cooking.
6. Cooks notes : This recipe forms the basis of all kibbi dishes. As it is impossible to estimate exactly how much ground meat you will get from a leg of mutton only approximate measures for both it and the bur'ghul have been given. When measuring these basic ingredients be sure to keep the proportions at 1½ cups of bur'ghul to every 500g of ground meat. It is essential to keep the mixture cold while kneading and grinding. If you do not have a grinder buy finely ground meat and knead all the ingredients together for about half an hour, constantly adding small amounts of iced water to keep the mixture cool and smooth. Refrigerate for a few hours and knead well again for about 15 minutes before cooking.