Kibbe for all your senses

Kibbe is a traditional middle eastern dish that is absolutely delicious and will satisfy all of your senses.

sight:
smell: It will leave your kitchen smelling like mint.

touch: you can eat it with your hands and you need to mix it with your hands. It's therapeutic.

taste: exquisite

hearing: there is a great story on NPR about Kibbe. Of course it's produced by the kitchen sisters, why do you ask? go here to listen to it.

I made this recipe on Sunday. I called my aunt Rosa and she gave it to me as a mother's day present. Here's my late mother's day present to you.

Rosa's Kibbe

• 250 grams of bulgur wheat
• 2 lbs ground beef or ground lamb
• 1 whole onion
• 2 cups finely chopped mint
• salt to taste
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 ice cube

1. soak the bulgur wheat for an hour. Then drain as much of the water out as possible. You literally have to press down on the wheat to get the water out.
2. preheat oven to 350
3. grate the onion
   
4. In a large bowl mix with your hands the wheat, meat, onion and mint and ice cube (don't ask me why but according to Rosa it makes a huge difference).
5. add half of the olive oil to the mixture
6. add salt to taste. BE CAREFUL because it's really easy to make this too salty. I've done it twice.
7. grease a casserole or cake pan with the remaining olive oil and evenly spread out the kibbe
8. bake for 15 mintues and spread the butter on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
9. serve with slices of lime.
   

This goes really well with rice and lentils.