Recipe: Armenian Raw Beef Tartare (Keyma) (1980's)

ARMENIAN RAW BEEF TARTARE (KEYMA)
also known as Kibbe, Nayee, Keyma or Armenian Steak Tartare

1 pound round steak, fat removed and ground 3 times (Beef or Lamb)
1/2 cup fine grind bulgur wheat
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup cold water (if needed)
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste (or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste)
1/2 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (for garnish)
Crackers or Armenian cracker bread (for serving)

Have butcher remove all fat from meat and grind it three times (note: let the butcher know that you will be serving the meat uncooked so the freshest cut will be selected and so they don't use a grinder that was used for raw pork - it's preferable to grind it yourself).

Mix ground meat and bulgur wheat as you would a meat loaf. Add tomato sauce, mixing in a little at a time, until mixture is mixed uniformly but still firm. Mix in 1/4 cup cold water if mixture seems too dry. Add salt and cayenne or black pepper to taste. Refrigerate.

Serve cold. Shape like round loaf of bread on platter and place chopped onions and parsley on top of meat. Serve with crackers or Armenian cracker bread.

Source: Tuscaloosa News newspaper, Jul 11, 1989