A popular way of serving kibbeh nayyeh, which makes it more of a grand dish, is with this ground-meat sauce. Veal is popularly used.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8-10

　　1 pound onions, chopped

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 pound lean ground veal

　　1/2 cup pine nuts

　　Salt and pepper

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　

Step 1

Fry the onions in the oil over low heat until golden. Add the ground veal and fry, crushing the meat with a fork and turning it over, until it changes color. Add the pine nuts. Season to taste with salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper, and add a little water to moisten. Simmer gently until the meat is well cooked and soft and the liquid is reduced. Some people prefer to fry the pine nuts lightly on their own and add them just before serving.

　　

Step 2

Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve in a separate bowl with the kibbeh nayyeh.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf