Not a designation by the church but a given name, Deacon Pattnotte ran the small grocery market on Grand Avenue in Yazoo City. He smoked meats and sold them sliced by the pound, but one of the most popular items in the store was his kibbeh. A Lebanese meatball of sorts made with ground beef or lamb and cracked wheat flavored with spices, kibbeh is quite a popular dish in the Delta. When making these in quantity, as Deacon did, the basic rule is for each pound of meat you need 1 teaspoon spice, 1 cup bulgur wheat, and 1 grated onion.

　　

Ingredients

makes 24 to 30 egg-sized meatballs

　　3 cups #3 cracked wheat

　　1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

　　Pinch of ground cumin

　　Pinch of cayenne pepper

　　3 white onions, grated

　　3 pounds lean ground beef (top round trimmed and ground twice)

　　Vegetable oil, for frying

　　

Step 1

Put the cracked wheat in a large bowl and cover it with cool water. Soak the wheat for 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

Stir together the black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, and cayenne.

　　

Step 3

Drain the wheat and squeeze out the remaining water. Add the onions and spice blend and stir well to combine. Using your hands, mix in the meat until everything is well distributed and the mixture starts to form a dough. Form egg-size pieces of the meat mixture.

　　

Step 4

To fry the kibbeh, heat 1/2 inch oil in a deep skillet. Working in batches, fry the kibbeh, turning to brown evenly on all sides, for 6 minutes or until cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

　　

Notes

Step 5

If desired, tuck a small chip of cold butter and a couple of toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds in the center of each kibbeh while you form them.

　　

Step 6

To bake the kibbeh, brush or spritz with olive oil and bake in a 375°F. oven for 15 minutes or until brown.

　　

Step 7

My good friend Donny Whitehead is a kibbeh master, always making enough to share.

　　A Southerly Course