If you ever travel through the mountains of northern Lebanon — through Zgharta, Ehden, Bsharri, Hasroon — you will eat kibbeh that does not exist anywhere else. The mountain people there have been making it for centuries, and they treat it with the seriousness the rest of us reserve for wine.
Real kibbeh starts at the butcher. The meat must be the leanest cut, hand-trimmed, and the burghul has to be fine — burghul #1, no substitutes. Beyond that, what makes the dish is patience.
This is a longer post coming soon. In the meantime, try the baked kibbeh recipe — and if you make it, send me a picture.