Baked Kibbeh

Ingredients:
3 Tblsp cinnamon
4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp marjarom
1/2 tsp cumin
6 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, or 2 Tblsp ghee
1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat (not coarse)
3 cups boiling water
3 lbs lean ground chuck, separated
2 large onions, separated
8 Tblsp Lebanese Spice Mix, separated
1/4 cup pine nuts

        Lebanese Spice Mix will use the following (makes ~8 Tblsp, enough for entire recipe):
        3 Tblsp cinnamon
        4 tsp nutmeg
        1 tsp allspice
        1 tsp marjarom
        1/2 tsp cumin
        4 tsp salt
        2 tsp pepper
        

        Meat base mixture will use the following:
        1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat 
        3 cups boiling water
        2 lbs lean ground chuck
        1 large onion, grated
        6 Tblsp Lebanese Spice Mix
        

        Meat filling mixture will use the following:
        2 Tblsp ghee        

        1/4 cup pine nuts
        1 lb lean ground chuck
        1 onion, chopped

        2 Tblsp Lebanese Spice Mix

Preparation:
1. Grate/chop all onions. Separate and set aside portions for meat base and meat filling.

2. Mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, marjoram, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl to form the Lebanese Spice Mix.

3. Make the ghee, if necessary, by slowly cooking 1/2 stick of unsalted butter until it foams twice and turns a golden color, with brown milk proteins separated out into the bottom. Strain proteins out to yield 2 Tblsp of ghee for the recipe.

4. Put ghee in skillet and heat.

5. Add meat filling ingredients of ground chuck, onion, pine nuts and spices.

6. Chop meat up while cooking, until it is crumbly. Cook until meat is done, then set aside to cool.

7. Set 3 cups water to boil.

8. While water is boiling, put wheat in a large bowl.

9. Cover wheat with boiling water and stir. Cover bowl with a plate and let stand for ten minutes.

10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

11. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.

12. Put 2 lbs of the ground chuck (meat base) into a food processor, and pulse until it forms a paste.

13. Put pulsed (paste) meat into a large bowl. Add meat base portion of the onion and 6 Tblsp. of the Lebanese Spice Mix.

14. Drain off all water from the wheat, once the ten minutes is up.

15. Add the wheat to the meat paste, onions and spice mix.

16. Using hands, mix meat base mixture ingredients completely, until all wheat, spices and onion are evenly distributed.

17. Take half of meat base mixture and press into baking dish evenly and smoothly.

18. Spread the cooked filling mixture over the bottom layer of meat base mixture.

19. Top filling layer with remaining meat base mixture, smoothing it evenly over the top and pressing down to seal. Wet hands if necessary to achieve a smooth top.

20. Slice kibbeh diagonally, forming diamonds. Be sure to slice all the way through to the bottom of the pan.

21. Bake until loaf is fully cooked, about 35 minutes in a convection oven, 40-45 minutes in a standard oven.