Baked Kibbe

2 cups fine cracked wheat
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch sweet marjoram
1/2 medium onion
2 1/2 pounds ground beef

for stuffing:
1 tablespoon shortening
2 medium onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts (or chopped walnuts or almonds)

Soak wheat in lukewarm water to cover for 20 minutes. Place 1/2 cup of the wheat with the seasonings in a food processor and pulverize.

Drain remaining cracked wheat, mix with the processed mixture, the 1/2 onion and ground beef. Add water as needed. Saute stuffing ingredients in shortening until the meat loses its pinkness.

Place half of the meatloaf mixture in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and pat out evenly. Spread stuffing evenly on top, then cover with other half of loaf mixture. Cut in squares and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until browned.

Serve with cucumber-mint sauce (recipe follows) and pita bread.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cucumber-Mint Sauce:
Mix 1 container plain yogurt with 1 diced cucumber, salt and dried mint to taste.

[Newspaper clipping. Attached commentary: "Among the Middle Eastern delights offered by owner Khalil Amr at La Deli restaurant in Las Colinas near Dallas is baked kibbe, a meat loaf stuffed with a mixture of meat, onions, and pine nuts."]

[I don't understand this recipe at all. According to the list of the ingredients, the meat is not part of the stuffing, but the recipe directions and the commentary seem to think it is. And how big is a "container of plain yogurt?" Yogurt comes in lots of sizes these days. *sigh*]