BEEF PATTIES WITH PINE NUTS

This is one of my favorite dishes from the region of Aley, probably because I used to spend my summers there as a child. It spend my summers there as a child. It contains a lot of pine nuts, but also mountain tomatoes, which are very common in this region.

6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS 

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups (400 g) pine nuts
• 1 pound (450 g) ground lamb or beef
• 3 4/5 cups (115 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups (600 g) sliced onion
• 3 cups (500 g) freekeh (roasted green wheat, can be replaced with wheat berries) or 6 potatoes
• Cumin and cardamom
• About 1 1/2 cups (400 g) crushed tomatoes (or 4 large, fresh and peeled tomatoes)
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• About 2 cups (473 ml) water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the butter in a skillet and sauté the pine nuts until they get a little bit of color. Drain and set aside.
2. Mix the ground beef, parsley, and onions with salt and pepper. Chop or mix everything one more time and mix again. Shape into small patties and fill them with pine nuts. Sauté in the butter and set aside.
3. Heat up half of the used butter and pour it over the onions in a saucepan along with the freekeh, or peeled and sliced potatoes, cumin, cardamom, and salt.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato puree.
5. Dilute the tomato paste with water and pour it into the skillet.
6. Bring to a boil and add the beef patties. Cook until the freekeh or potatoes are soft. If necessary, add more diluted tomato paste.

Enjoy your delicious Freekeh and Lamb Stew with Pine Nuts!