Ingredients
- Cereal: 500 g large grain bulgur.
- Meat: 500 g to 700 g beef or lamb (cut into cubes).
- Nokoss (spice paste): 1 onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, black pepper and broth (all crushed together).
- Vegetables: Carrots, cabbage, and sometimes eggplant or peppers.
- Condiments:
- 1 onion (minced for frying).
- Mustard (1 to 2 tablespoons).
- Vinegar or lime juice.
- Oil (to brown the meat).
- Garnish: Pitted olives and hard-boiled eggs.
Instructions
1. Sear the meat
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the pieces of meat and fry them until they are very well colored (dark brown). This coloring is crucial because it will give the bulgur its brown color without using tomato paste.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until caramelized.
2. Seasoning and simmering
- Incorporate the Nokoss, mustard and a drizzle of vinegar.
- Add water (enough to cook the meat then the bulgur).
- Add the vegetables (carrots, cabbage). Cover and simmer until the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
- Important: Once the vegetables are cooked, remove them from the pot and set aside to prevent them from getting crushed.
3. Prepare the bulgur
- Wash the bulgur and steam briefly (optional, but helps with the texture) or set aside.
- Check the broth level in the pot. Bulgur requires a little less water than traditional broken rice.
4. Cooking “Thiéb”
- Add the bulgur to the boiling broth.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly (using foil under the lid helps) and let steam for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, carefully turn the bulgur so that it cooks evenly.
5. Training
- Fluff the bulgur using a fork.
- Serve on a large platter, garnished with tender meat, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and olives.