Name: Beef Shawarma w/ Tahini Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. Sliced Beef (Rib eye); 2 tb. Vegetable Oil; 2 tb. Distilled White Vinegar; 2 tsp. Shawarma Spice; 1 ½ tsp. Salt; ½ tsp. Black Pepper; 1 clove Garlic; ½ tsp. Salt; 2 tb. Tahini Paste; 1 tb. Lemon Juice; 2 ½ tb. Cold Water; 1 tsp. All Spice; 1 tsp. Cumin; ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon; .25 tsp. Ground Coriander; .25 tsp. Turmeric; .25 tsp. Ground Ginger

Homemade beef Shawarma can be just as delicious as the crispy and juicy street food you know and love in the middle east. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Shawarma, it is middle eastern spiced beef or chicken sliced thinly, with fresh veggies and tahini sauce (also known as tarator) or garlic aioli. It is one of the most well-known Lebanese dishes. It is similar to a Greek gyro in terms of the sliced beef and pita bread it is served in, but the flavors are very different.

Shawarma Spices

The spice I use for my Shawarma is actually just called “beef Shawarma” spice by the brand “Abido”. I find it at my local middle eastern grocery but you can also find it online. Shawarma spice can easily made at home by mixing a combination of spices including cumin, allspice, cinnamon, turmeric, ground coriander, black pepper and ground ginger.

How to Serve Beef Shawarma

Shawarma can be served in a platter with rice or fresh veggies, Lebanese pickles and a parsley and onion salad . It can also be served in a pita as a sandwich. The sandwich is stuffed with the shawarma, freshly sliced tomatoes, Lebanese pickled and/or pickled turnips and topped with the tahini sauce, tarator. You can also all the parleys and onion salad in the sandwich as well.

The way it is made in restaurants in Lebanon is using large pieces of marinated roast or steak cut, and grilled on a rotating vertical grill then, sliced thinly as needed. I of course do not have a rotating vertical grill so, I cut the meat into thin slices before I marinate and cook it.

The longer the shawarma is marinated, the tastier. I usually defrost my beef in the fridge overnight and marinate it first thing in the morning. I let the beef marinate all day in the fridge and cook right before I serve it.

STEP 1

Begin by slicing your beef into 3-inch thin slices. To make the marinade, combine the vegetable oil with the distilled white vinegar. Add the Shawarma spice, salt and black pepper. Mix them thoroughly with the meat and cover with plastic wrap and return to the fridge.

STEP 2

After about 6-8 hours of marinating, the beef is ready to be cooked. Sautée the beef in a skillet on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. Taste for seasoning.

STEP 3

Slice all your vegetables for your sandwich or platter
(Tomatoes, small Lebanese pickles, pickled turnips).

STEP 4

While the beef is cooking, prepare your Tahini sauce. Crush 1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic with a ½ tsp of salt. Add the Tahini, freshly squeezed lemon juice and water. Whisk until fully combined. Tahini paste has a very strange texture when you first begin to whisk it. You will notice it starts to get thicker and clumpy but, just keep whisking, and it will get silky and smooth.