Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 2 pounds 900g ground beef (beef mince)
- ⅓ cup 20g roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup 190g bulgur wheat
- 1 ½ cups 375ml beef broth or water
- Pinch each of salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup 12g fresh mint leaves
- Oil, for frying
To Serve
- Tahini sauce
- Lime wedges
Method
- Put the bulgur wheat in a bowl.
- Bring the broth (or water) to a boil then pour it over the bulgur.
- Let it sit for half an hour.
- Sauté the garlic, nutmeg and cinnamon (if using) with half the onions in 2 tablespoons of oil.
- When the onions are soft, add about ⅓ of the ground beef, then cook until browned.
- Mix in the parsley and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper or however much you want).
- Drain the bulgur and press down with a wooden spoon to get as much liquid out as you can.
- Put the bulgur in a food processor with the rest of the (raw) beef, the rest of the onions and the fresh mint. Add ¾ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper, then process until very smooth.
- Press golf-ball size balls of the beef mix flat in your hand, then add a tablespoon of cooked beef mixture in the middle, wrap the raw beef mix around the cooked beef mix and press well to seal.
- Shape the balls into long ovals (like an American football or rugby ball) with pointy ends, and arrange on a baking sheet.
- Put a few inches of your favorite deep frying oil and heat it to 350°F (180°C).
- Lower the kibe into the oil, cooking it in batches until crisp and dark brown. Make sure the kibe are 160°F (71°C) in the center.
- Drain on paper towels, then serve warm with tahini sauce and lime wedges.
Notes
- I always chill the raw beef mixture for a few hours because this makes it easier to shape later. So, plan your Brazilian kibe recipe ahead!
- Cook until the centers reach 160°F. The croquettes contain raw ground beef and dark browning alone doesn’t confirm the meat's safely cooked.