Soak the Bulgur

Gather the ingredients.

In a medium bowl, place the bulgur wheat and add the cold water. Let it soak for 30 minutes.

Remove excess water by placing the bulgur in a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel and thoroughly squeezing. Reserve.

Make the Fine Kibbeh Dough

In a medium bowl, mix the coarsely chopped onion with 1 pound of the meat, the soaked bulgur, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the pepper. Stir well to combine.

Process the mixture in batches in a food processor: Pulse, then process to a sticky, smooth, dough-like consistency, adding some ice as needed to help break down the meat. Repeat the procedure until all of the beef mixture has been processed. Reserve, covered.

Make the Coarse Kibbeh Stuffing

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the finely chopped onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the remaining pound of meat and the pine nuts, if using. Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the allspice, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the cumin and stir well.

Once the beef is no longer pink, remove from the heat and allow it to cool off for 10 minutes.

Assemble the Kibbeh

Using damp hands, take an egg-sized amount of raw and fine meat mixture and form it into a ball. Using your index finger, poke a hole in the ball, making a pocket for the filling. Add some cooked filling and pinch the top to seal the ball. Note: This recipe will yield 25 small-sized kibbeh—about 1 1/4-ounce dough plus 1/2-ounce of filling—so be mindful of how much filling you use when stuffing the raw meat dough.

Shape it into a ball, or pinch the ends to form a little football.

Fry the Kibbeh

In a deep frying pan or deep-fryer, add 4 cups of oil and heat to 350 F.

Fry the kibbeh in batches until golden brown and crunchy, or about 5 minutes. Be mindful of not overcrowding the pan so the balls cook evenly.

Drain on paper towels and serve hot or warm.