Lamb Shawarma Plate

Ingredients

• 1 lb lamb shoulder, cut into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (for sauce)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (for sauce)
• 4 pieces warm pita bread
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the lamb on a cutting board with the grain running left to right (the thin lines in the meat). Slice against the grain—perpendicular to those lines—into strips about 1/8-inch thick, like slicing salami.

2. 2

   Mince the 3 cloves of garlic for the marinade until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about pencil-tip-sized dots when you look at them on the cutting board.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the minced garlic, 1.5 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 0.5 teaspoon oregano.

4. 4

   Add the sliced lamb to the bowl and use your hands to massage the marinade into the meat, coating every piece, about 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Let the lamb marinate at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients, about 15 minutes.

6. 6

   Mince 1 clove of garlic for the tahini sauce until the pieces are pencil-tip-sized, then place it in a small bowl with 0.25 cup tahini and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

7. 7

   Whisk the tahini mixture until smooth and uniform in color, about 1 minute; if it is very thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency of peanut butter.

8. 8

   Dice the tomato: slice it lengthwise from the top to the bottom into thin slabs, rotate 90 degrees, then slice across to create 1/4-inch cubes, discarding excess juice.

9. 9

   Slice the red onion: cut the onion in half from root to tip, place cut-side down, and slice crosswise into thin half-moon shapes about 1/8-inch thick.

10. 10

    Roughly chop the parsley into 1/2-inch pieces by gathering a handful, holding your fingers in a claw, and slicing lengthwise, then chopping across.

11. 11

    Set a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat and wait about 2 minutes until it is very hot (hold your hand 3 inches above and it should feel intense heat).

12. 12

    Working in two batches to avoid crowding, place half the lamb strips in the hot skillet in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes until the bottom turns deep brown.

13. 13

    Stir the lamb and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring once every 30 seconds, until the pieces are cooked through and the interior is no longer pink when you cut into the thickest piece.

14. 14

    Transfer the first batch of cooked lamb to a clean plate, then repeat steps 12 and 13 with the remaining lamb.

15. 15

    Warm the pita bread in the same skillet, laying them flat one at a time over the residual heat for 20 seconds per side until they are soft and pliable.

16. 16

    Spread 2 tablespoons of tahini sauce across the center of each warm pita bread in a thin, even layer.

17. 17

    Divide the cooked lamb evenly between the pitas, placing it in a mound down the center of each bread on top of the tahini.

18. 18

    Top each pita with a quarter of the diced tomato, a quarter of the sliced red onion, and a quarter of the chopped parsley in separate piles.

19. 19

    Fold each pita in half gently so the filling stays inside, then wrap the bottom third in foil or parchment to catch any drips, and serve immediately.

Tools you’ll need

• cutting board
• sharp chef's knife
• medium bowl
• small bowl
• whisk
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• 12-inch cast iron skillet or large stainless steel skillet
• rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• kitchen tongs

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