Kibbie Neyeh (Raw Kibbie)

There was a period in time when my father was a butcher, in Lebanon. So eating raw meat as a toddler was as normal as drinking milk. Even though, for me drinking milk was not a norm (lactose-intolerant).

Kibbie Neyeh, is made with raw minced beef or lamb, combined with wheat and onion.

There is some logic to the madness, don’t panic (see directions below). It is what the French would call a pâté, or what the Dutch call filet americain or what it is lately known as steak tartare.

Golden Rules: get fresh meat and keep it cold at all costs (icy cold), the leanest meat (not fat or muscular membranes), and mince in a clean food processor and knead it with icy-water. You follow this rules, you will have the safest, better looking kibbie neyeh ever.

Ingredients:

250 gr. of beef (heart of clod is the one I use, minced)

100 gr. Bulgur (rinsed and drained)

½ cup icy water

1 big yellow onion (pureed)

½ tablespoon of Salt

½ tablespoon of black pepper

Directions:

1. Keep the minced meat in the freezer, so it keeps cold, but not let it freeze.

2. In a bowl mix together: bulgur, onion, salt and pepper.

3. In a chilled bowl mix the previous mixture with the meat, knead and add the water bit by bit until homogenous.

4. Serve immediately, with raw onions, olive oil and Arabic bread.

Tips:

1. I’ve heard of people adding cinnamon to the mixture as well, but I’m a purest, salt and pepper is the way I usually go.

2. By mixing the onion pure, salt and pepper with the bulgur before adding the meat, discoloration of the meat is delayed, it will stay reddish longer.

Enjoy!