Kafta bi Bandora (Palestinian Ground Meat Patties in Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients:

For the Meat:

- 4 medium potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds; 680g), peeled and sliced into - 1/2 inch thick rounds (see note)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt or fine sea salt
- 3 1/2 ounces (100g) pita bread or crustless white bread, roughly torn (about 2 loosely packed cups)
- 1 medium (6-ounce; 170g) tomato, cored and roughly diced
- 1 small (6-ounce; 170g) yellow onion, roughly diced
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1 fresh green chili, such as Anaheim, jalapeño, or serrano, stemmed and seeded (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
- 2 pounds (900g) ground meat (beef, lamb, veal, or a combination), preferably 20% fat (see note)

For the Sauce and to Assemble:

- One 28-ounce (794g) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with their juices by hand or with a potato masher
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
- Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium green bell peppers (about 5 ounces; 142g each), stemmed, seeded, and sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick rounds
- Vermicelli rice, cooked white rice, and/or pita bread, for serving

Preparation:

- For the Meat: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil and a large pinch of salt, then arrange in a single layer.
- Roast until nicely browned, about 35 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine bread, tomato, onion, garlic, chile (if using), coriander, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, and ground coriander along with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon (9g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for fine sea salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight). Pulse, scraping down sides as necessary, until a coarse paste forms.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat with the processed vegetables and spices and mix well with your hands just until fully combined.
- Shape the meat mixture into 3-inch-wide by 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 15 to 18 patties), and arrange on a second rimmed baking sheet. Cook until the surface has nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

For the Sauce and to Assemble:

- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together crushed tomatoes and their juices with the olive oil and garlic along with 1/2 cup (118ml) water. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a 9 by 13-inch rectangular baking dish or a 10- or 11-inch oval baking dish, arrange kafta patties in an upright shingled pattern, alternating with potato slices and green bell pepper rounds (you will only need around 15 to 20 slices each of potato and bell pepper; reserve any extra for snacking). Add any accumulated juices from the katfa baking sheet, then pour tomato sauce all over.
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
- Bake until sauce is bubbling and slightly thickened and the bell peppers are browning in spots, about 25 minutes.
- Serve with vermicelli rice or plain white rice and/or fresh pita bread.

- Make-Ahead and Storage

The kafta and potatoes can be roasted several hours and assembled in the baking dish with green peppers and sauce, then refrigerated for several hours until ready to bake.

Notes

- I prefer russet potatoes for this dish, as they tend to smash more when you eat the kafta with bread and rice, but other varieties, such as Yukon gold, will work.

The type of meat you use is flexible. Using only lamb will provide the gamiest flavor, which works very well with the seasonings in this dish. Using only beef or veal will be more mild; veal also provides more gelatin than the other two, which can improve juiciness, though any of these meats at 20% fat will be very juicy. If you want a subtle lamb flavor, creating a 1:1 mixture of ground beef and lamb or a 1:1:1 mixture of beef, veal, and lamb will both work, as will any other ratio, depending on your flavor preferences.

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Nutrition Values:

Amount per serving
Calories 472
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 75mg 25%
Sodium 863mg 38%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 53mg 265%
Calcium 77mg 6%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 1150mg 24%