Spiced Beef Shawarma with Tahini Sauce and Flatbread
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Thin strips of beef in a yoghurt and home-ground spice marinade are seared in a hot pan until crisp-edged, then piled into flatbreads with tahini sauce, fresh salad and pink turnip pickles.
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Method
- 1
Toast and grind spices. Toast the peppercorns, allspice, cumin, coriander and cardamom seeds in the dry pan over medium heat for 1 min until fragrant. Leave to cool, then grind finely with the paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, sumac and garlic powder. Toasting draws out aromatic oils, giving a deeper, rounder blend.
- 2
Pickle the turnips. Put the turnip and beetroot in the jar. Dissolve the pickle salt and sugar in the hot water, add the vinegar and pour over, then chill for at least 2 h. The beetroot slowly bleeds its colour, turning the turnip a vivid pink.
- 3
Make the marinade. Purée the onion, press it through the sieve into the bowl and discard the pulp. Onion juice carries the flavour without leaving bits that would burn in the pan. Whisk in the yoghurt, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and all the spice blend.
- 4
Marinate the beef. Toss the beef strips through the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 3-8 h. Acid and yoghurt gently tenderise the surface while the spices soak in.
- 5
Whisk the tahini. Whisk the tahini, yoghurt, lemon juice and garlic together, then add the water a spoonful at a time. It will tighten and look grainy at first before loosening into a smooth, pourable sauce; this is normal as the sesame paste absorbs liquid.
- 6
Sear the beef. Take the beef out of the fridge 20 min before cooking, lift it from the marinade and let the excess drip off, discarding the rest. Heat the pan over high heat with a little oil and cook in 3-4 single-layer batches for 4-5 min each, turning, until well browned with crisp edges and cooked through (at least 63°C in a thicker piece). Keep each batch warm while you cook the next.
- 7
Assemble. Pile the beef onto warm flatbreads with the tomato, cucumber, parsley and drained pickles. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce and serve straight away.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate the beef for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a hot pan until piping hot (74°C). The pickles keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and the tahini sauce for 4 days.
Equipment
- dry frying pan
- spice grinder or mortar and pestle
- food processor
- sieve
- large bowl
- large cast-iron or heavy frying pan
- tongs
- jar or bowl for the pickles
- instant-read probe thermometer
- cling film
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 653 kcal |
| Protein | 43.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 50.9 g |
| of which sugars | 7.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 31.1 g |
| of which saturates | 7.8 g |
| Fibre | 5.6 g |
| Salt | 2.37 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.6 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
