The classic kibbeh sajiyeh is stuffed with seasoned lamb tail fat. The fat melts inside as the kibbeh grills over charcoal and oozes out as soon as you cut into it as it comes off the grill—it needs to be served very hot and eaten before the fat cools. I have had kibbeh sajiyeh stuffed with labneh and herbs in northern Lebanon and I have had it filled with the same stuffing as that of Kibbeh bil-Saniyeh. I like both, but neither is as luxurious as kibbeh suffused with tail fat. Having it straight off my Syrian aunt’s charcoal grill remains one of my favorite childhood food memories, and in the days before the uprising, when I visited Syria, I never failed to order it in whatever restaurant I happened to dine in. For those of you living outside the Middle East, you can replace the lamb tail fat with the fat surrounding lambs’ or calves’ kidneys.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (200 g) fine bulgur, rinsed under cold water and drained
• 1 pound 2 ounces (500 g) boneless lean lamb, very finely minced
• 1 medium onion (about 5 ounces/150 g), grated on the fine side of a grater
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• Sea salt
• 5 ounces (150 g) sheep’s tail fat (or fat from around the kidney), finely diced by hand
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
• 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture
• Unsalted butter, melted, for shaping and serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the bulgur in a bowl. Add the lamb, onion, allspice, black pepper, and salt to taste and mix well. Put some cold water in a small bowl and add a little salt. Wet your hands with the salt water, and add a little of it to the kibbeh and knead until you have a smooth mixture.
2. Put the diced tail fat in another bowl and season with the cumin, Aleppo pepper, and 7-spice mixture. Add salt to taste and mix well.
3. You are now ready to shape the domed kibbeh disks, and you can do this by hand or use shallow bowls to shape it. Divide the kibbeh into 8 equal portions of 4 ounces (125 g) each. Flatten each piece to a round about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. Take 4 shallow bowls measuring about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter and line each with plastic wrap. Lightly grease the wrap with melted butter and lay a round on each bowl and flatten the meat a little more so it very slightly rises above the rim of the bowl. Spoon one-quarter of the seasoned fat into each bowl and cover with the remaining rounds of kibbeh. Seal the edges and brush with melted butter.
4. To grill the kibbeh: Prepare a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill. Invert the bowl molding the kibbeh onto your slightly greased palm, peel the wrap off the kibbeh, and gently slide the kibbeh onto the grill. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
5. To bake the kibbeh: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Invert the kibbeh onto your palm then slide it onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Serve hot, brushed with more butter.