Kibis Yucatecos Rellenos de Queso de Bola
Kibis Yucatecos Rellenos de Queso de Bola
Desayunos Fuertes: Weekend Mornings at Home
If you grew up near the Yucatán, the cry of the kibi vendor is etched into your psyche. This is the beautiful collision of Lebanese immigrant ingenuity and local Mexican necessity—a deep-fried croquette of spiced beef and bulgur wheat holding a molten core of Dutch Edam cheese. It looks like a high-wire act, but the secret is just common sense: wring the absolute life out of the hydrated wheat so it doesn't explode in the fryer, and knead the dough until it completely surrenders. It is the ultimate weekend breakfast flex, best served piping hot and smothered in bright, fiery pickled onions.
Before you start
Make the pickled onions ahead of time.
Toss the sliced red onion, minced habanero, grapefruit juice, orange juice, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a glass bowl, cover, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Ingredients
- fine bulgur wheat1 cup
- 80/20 ground beef1 lb
- white onion1/2 med
- fresh spearmint leaves1/2 cup
- garlic clove2 small
- ground cumin1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- dried oregano1/4 tsp
- edam cheese6 oz
- vegetable oil4 cup
- red onion1 large
- habanero pepper2 small
- fresh grapefruit juice1/2 cup
- fresh orange juice1/4 cup
- fresh lime juice1/4 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
Method
- 01
Hydrate the bulgur wheat.
Place the fine bulgur in a large bowl, cover with two cups of warm water, and let sit for 30 minutes to plump up.
- 02
Squeeze the wheat completely dry.
Drain the wheat in a fine-mesh sieve, then take handfuls and squeeze them over the sink as hard as you physically can until absolutely no water drips out.
- 03
Knead the meat and wheat into a cohesive dough.
Add the ground beef, grated onion pulp, minced spearmint, garlic paste, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and oregano to the wrung-out wheat, and knead vigorously by hand for five solid minutes until it becomes a sticky, unified paste.
- 04
Form the hollow dough cups.
With wet hands, take a golf-ball-sized portion of the meat mixture, roll it smooth, and press your thumb deep into the center to hollow it out like a small cup.
- 05
Stuff and shape the kibis.
Drop a cube of Edam cheese into the cavity, pinch the edges closed to seal it completely, and gently roll it between your wet palms to taper the ends into a pointed football shape.
- 06
Deep fry until deeply browned and crispy.
Heat two inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F, then fry three or four kibis at a time without crowding the pan for four to five minutes, turning occasionally.
- 07
Drain and serve hot.
Remove the kibis with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and serve piping hot with the pickled onions spooned directly into the center after your first bite.
Notes
Do not skip the vigorous kneading.
The mechanical action extracts myosin from the meat, binding it with the wheat starches to create a resilient structure that won't fall apart in the hot oil.
The sour orange substitute.
The combination of grapefruit, orange, and lime juice perfectly mimics the bitter sour orange (naranja agria) native to the Yucatán that can be difficult to source in the States.
Cheese substitutions.
If you can't find wheels of Edam cheese with the classic red wax, young Gouda is mechanically identical and melts with the exact same profile.