Lebanese Beef Shawarma

 Lebanese Beef Shawarma 

Shawarma is probably one of the most recognizable Middle Eastern ethnic food names in the West, behind Falafel and Hummus. The name comes from the Turkish word çevirme which means “turning,” and where you have some deeply marinated layers of beef, lamb or chicken stacked on a vertical spit and slowly turning  against a soft grilling fire for hours. The meat is then shredded and wrapped in a pita bread with garlic paste (chicken shawarma) or Tahini sauce (beef shawarma) and other goodies such as grilled tomatoes, chopped parsley, french fries, grilled onions, and salted Lebanese pickles. Let’s have a look at the Beef Shawarma Recipe

Cook Time15minutes mins

Total Time12hours hrs 35minutes mins

CourseBBQ, Dinner, entree, Sandwich

Servings2

Ingredients

Meat

⅘ lbs beef choose fatty cuts

Marinade Ingredients

2 cloves garlic

• ⅕ cup lemon juice
• ⅛ cup apple cider vinegar
• ⅛ cup olive oil
• ⅖ teaspoon salt
• ⅖ teaspoon cloves whole or powder
• ⅕ teaspoon cumin powder
• ⅕ teaspoon caraway
• ⅕ teaspoon cardamom powder
• ⅕ teaspoon oregano or thyme, dried or green
• ⅕ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ⅕ teaspoon nutmeg powder
• ⅕ teaspoon peppercorn
• ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

Tahini Sauce Ingredients

• ⅘ teaspoons Tahini paste
• ⅖ cup Lemon Juice
• 1 ⅕ cloves garlic
• teaspoon Salt

Sandwich Ingredients

• ⅕ cup Italian parsley finely cut
• ⅖ small tomato preferably roasted or grilled
• ⅕ cup French fries
• loaf Pita bread

Instructions

Shawarma Marinade

1. Mix the spices along with the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar in a blender for a couple of minutes. Don't mix in the olive oil yet.
2. Cut the beef into chunks of 4 inches long by no more than 2/3 inch in thickness.
3. In a bowl, rub the meat with the marinade, sprinkle a bit of olive oil then rub again, cover and let marinate overnight in the fridge.

Grilling Shawarma Method 1: Panini Grill

1. Lay the marinated shawarma chunks on a panini or George Foreman grill and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat.
2. Once cooked, shred the meat on a cutting board and serve hot.

Grilling Shawarma Method 2: Oven Roasting

1. Lay the marinated beef chunks in a Pyrex tray with a bit of marinade, cover the trap tightly with aluminum foil, then gently bake at 270-300F for 2 hours.
2. Once cooked, shred the meat on a cutting board and serve hot. This roasting method will make the meat very tender and juicy and will almost fall apart.

Preparing the Tahini Sauce

1. In a blender, mix the Tahini paste with garlic, lemon juice and salt until you turn it into a thick sauce.

Serving a Shawarma Wrap

1. Place about 4-6 ounces (to taste) of shredded shawarma in a pita bread along the diameter, sprinkle some Tahini sauce, add freshly grilled tomatoes, french fries, a garnish of Italian parsley. Roll and enjoy.

Nutritional Facts for Beef Shawarma (100g serving):

Nutrient	Amount (per 100 g)

Calories

280 kcal

Protein

26 g

Total Fat

19 g

Saturated Fat

7 g

Carbohydrates

2 g

Fiber

0.3 g

Sugars

0.2 g

Cholesterol

95 mg

Sodium

450 mg (varies a lot by marinade salt/soy/sumac)

Iron	2.6 mg (≈15% DV)

Calcium

20 mg (≈2% DV)