Beef Shawarma
A Middle Eastern street food crown jewel: thinly sliced beef marinated in a robust blend of warm spices, vinegar, and olive oil, seared to perfection and paired with a velvety tahini tarator sauce.
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40 min
Easy
Medio Oriente / Levantina
4 servings
The story behind
You have absolutely no idea how incredibly rich and deeply seasoned this authentic recipe turns out! The very first time I experienced real beef shawarma was at a tiny family-run joint in the vibrant streets of Beirut. Unlike chicken shawarma, the beef variant carries a completely unique personality; its marinade relies on a tangy splash of vinegar and a deeper, warmer spectrum of spices that leaves the meat fork-tender and full of character. The shop owner proudly shared with me that a true beef shawarma's best friend is its sauce: it absolutely must be paired with 'tarator' (a creamy garlic-tahini emulsion) because it perfectly cuts through the rich depth of the red meat. Personally, I love cooking this in an incredibly hot skillet to get those irresistible charred edges that beautifully mimic a traditional vertical rotisserie spit. It tastes phenomenal served with red onions tossed in tangy sumac and fresh parsley. To drink, a chilled cup of fresh mint water or a hot black tea clears the palate beautifully. You are going to love it completely.
Instructions
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1In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, three tablespoons of olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, ground allspice, cinnamon, cumin, salt, and black pepper until completely combined to create your marinade.
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2Toss the thinly sliced beef strips into the bowl, rubbing the mixture thoroughly into the meat; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (leaving it overnight yields an incredible depth of flavor).
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3Meanwhile, whip up the tarator sauce by combining the tahini paste, fresh lemon juice, a tiny crushed garlic clove, a splash of cold water, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, whisking vigorously until it turns creamy and pale chalk-white.
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4Heat a large heavy skillet or cast-iron grill pan over very high heat with the final tablespoon of olive oil.
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5Sear the marinated beef strips in quick, sparse batches to prevent overcrowding the pan and steaming the meat; you want a fast sear that develops gorgeous crisp charred edges identical to the bits seen in Shawarma de res.jpg.
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6Remove the cooked beef from the pan once it is tender and juicy, keeping it covered and warm.
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7Serve the sizzling shawarma beef heaped onto a platter or wrapped tightly inside thin Arabic flatbread lined with the garlic-tahini sauce, charred tomatoes, thin red onion slices tossed with sumac, and fresh chopped parsley.
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