Baked Meatloaf in a Pan
Kafta bi'l-Siniyya
Region: Arab Levant
Category: Lamb
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy

Kafta is more than an Arab meatball or meatloaf. It is meat traditionally pounded into a paste in a large marble mortar and mixed with spices before being cooked in a variety of ways. In this preparation the pounded meat is spread in a baking tray, although in the past it would have been cooked in a Ṣīniyya , a round copper or brass tray set on a stool and used as a table. I became familiar with this recipe by way of my former wife's family who are from Palestine and also call it kafta. In Damascus they might call this dish kiyyfta.

The meat should be ground until smooth and pasty, and a food processor takes care of this task well. Some Arab cooks use mashed potatoes or fried potatoes in place of the sliced baked potatoes in this recipe. Or they will replace the sliced tomatoes with tomato puree or juice. The version with mashed potatoes is quite nice, and if you wish to make it that way, see the recipe for mashed potatoes.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 1:15 hours

1 pound ground lamb

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 1/2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice berries

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced

1 small potato, peeled, sliced 1/ 3-inch thick and parboiled for 12 minutes or 1 to 2 cups mashed potatoes

1/2 cup cooked peas

1 large ripe tomato, sliced or 1 cup tomato puree or juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Mix the lamb, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, cumin, allspice, and salt, kneading well with wet hands to avoid sticking. Put the meat mixture in a food processor and process, in batches if necessary, until the meat is creamy smooth, very well blended, and pasty.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Grease a round 9-inch-diameter baking pan and press the meat in to cover the bottom. Dot the top with the butter slices and bake 15 minutes. Lay the potatoes and peas over the meat, and the tomato over everything (or pour over the purée or juice). Drizzle over the lemon juice and return to the oven until the meat feels firm to the touch and its juices run clear, about 1 hour. Cut into squares or pie slices and serve. If you like, you can spoon some of the accumulated juice and fat over each piece, otherwise discard the excess fat.

Variation: 

Note: 

Posted: 02/23/2010

Referenced Recipes:

Mashed Potatoes