Name: Kibbeh
Ingredients: 2 1/2 c Cubed tender lamb; 2 c Burghul (crushed wheat); 2 md Sized onions; 2 ts Salt (or to taste); 1/2 ts Pepper; Ice water

1. While we will regret setting the bar below the standards of Scripture in recognizing men called to the eldership, we can also in our zeal set it artificially higher than the Scriptures, and fail to recognize that some of the best gifts grow in ministry. 2. Especially remember that “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:3), with its corollary of being able to “rebuke” (Tit. 1:9, i.e. to use the Scriptures for the ends for which they were given [2 Tim. 3:15-16]) does not specify an arena. Some are “able to teach” who are not suited to regular public preaching. 3. Look for men whose lives exhibit the spirit of, as well as an intellectual grasp of, sound doctrine. Orthodoxy with approachability is a great desideratum in an elder (approachability being the very least that “hospitable” means; Tit. 1:8). 4. Pose the most neglected question—”Do outsiders think well of him?” (1 Tim. 3:7)—and ponder why that question is important. 5. Choose those who are already “among” the flock, and the flock “among” them (1 Pet. 5: 2). Moral, domestic, occupational, didactic qualifications being met, ask, “Does this man love the flock and is he beloved by them?” Commitment to corporate prayer is often a litmus test. 6. Avoid appointing those who would commit to loving the flock if they were asked to be elders. Better by far to have men who love the sheep than men who love being shepherds (the former will become the latter, but not vice-versa). 7. Seek men who are simultaneously gentle but prepared to be courageous, and prepared to suffer if need be—to get in front to protect as well as behind to follow! An elder must be capable of both biblical rebuke and gentle restoration (Gal. 6:2). Quieter men, with quiet hearts, are worth their weight in gold and may astonish us by their wisdom. 8. Ask the question, “Would our church be willing, if need be, to pay this man a stipend to labor among us as an elder?” The answer may tell a great deal about his ministry in the flock and his esteem in their eyes. 9. Consider how well a man’s life echoes the principles of the Lord’s shepherding in Psalm 23.

Sinclair Ferguson

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Meats	Arab		1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2	c	Cubed tender lamb
2	c	Burghul (crushed wheat)
2	md	Sized onions
2	ts	Salt (or to taste)
1/2	ts	Pepper
		Ice water

INSTRUCTIONS

I was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and I can assure you that this is the purest
and best recipe for Kibbeh I ever saw. And it is absolutely delicious.
(From Food from the Arab World Marie Karam Khayat and Margaret Clark
Keatinge, Khayat's, Beirut 1959)
Lebanese Kibbeh ( K Meat)
Kibbeh is virtually the national dish of Lebanon and to call it a meat loaf
does not quite raise it to the heights it deserves. Its traditional
preparation is dramatic. It requires a stone mortar and a heavy pestle
called the jorn and modaqqa. ( From Daniella: today, we lebanese, use a
food processor) The meat is pounded with rhythmic motions until it is
smooth and pasty. All the neighborhood knows the sound of kibbeh in the
making.
Select lamb from loin of the animal. Pound the cubed meat with a teaspoon
of salt in a stone mortar with a wooden mallet. Remove meat from mortar
when it becomes pasty. Now pound onion with a teaspoon of salt and the
pepper until it is reduced to a pulp. Combine meat and onion and pound
together until very smooth. Wash burghul well in running water but do this
quickly so that it does not soften. Press to remove water. Knead burghul
and meat with the hands. Pound together in mortar. Add salt to taste. Dip
mallet in ice water occasionally to keep meat moist and smooth. Properly
prepared kibbeh must be pounded at least an hour. Then it is ready to be
eaten as it is, or cooked in a variety of ways.
Preparation time may be shortened considerably by grinding meat several
times through fine blade of meat grinder. Grind onion twice. Grind onions
with meat once. Combine washed burghul with meat-onion mixture. Knead well,
seasoning with salt and pepper ( oriental pepper called BHAR). Grind this
mixture three times adding a tablespoon of ice water to keep it smooth.
Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest V97 #004
From: Daniella De Picciotto <daniela@dialdata.com.br>
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 07:25:22 -0200 (EDT)

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