Knödel

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter a 9 x 13 baking dish; set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the base meat mixture by adding bulgur wheat to a medium bowl and stirring in boiling hot water. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes, then drain any excess water.

Step 3: In a food processor, pulse the ground lamb and sirloin until it forms a fine paste. Remove from the food processor and place it in a large bowl. Add softened wheat, grated onion, and All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend. Mix well using your hands. If the mixture becomes too sticky, dip your hands into a bowl of ice water.

Step 4: For the filling, heat clarified butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat, pine nuts, onion, and All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend. Sauté until the meat is cooked through, approximately 9-11 minutes.

Step 5: To assemble the baked kibbeh, spread half of the base meat mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Next, layer the filling on top of the base layer. Finally, spread the remaining base meat mixture on top, pressing down with wet hands to smooth the surface.

Step 6: Slice the kibbeh diagonally to form small diamonds. Optionally, drizzle additional melted clarified butter over the top.

Step 7: Bake until the meat is fully cooked, approximately 40-45 minutes. Serve with Cucumber Laban on the side.