Awarma, Qawarm, Lebanese Lamb Confit
Description
Awarma/ Qawarma/ Lebanese Lamb Confit is a preserved meat made by cooking down minced or diced lamb with a copious amount of rendered lamb fat!
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb. 4 oz. lamb meat diced or into 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes, If you are using minced lamb meat almost any cut is o.k, but if you are dicing the meat as I did, I would recommend you use loin or rump since these cuts are tender and full of flavor.
- 1 kg / 2lb. 4 oz. lamb fat usually sheep tail fat (lieh), but any other fat cut can be used, dices into small cubes or ask your butcher to dice it for you.
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon of seven spice or allspice optional ( I prefer my awarma spice free)
Instructions
- If you are going to be dicing the fat yourself, make sure it is chilled to make it easier to cut. Use a serrated knife and dice the fat into small cubes about 2.5 cm / 1 inch.
- Trim the remaining meat spots from the lamb fat.
- Salt the meat heavily and refrigerate.
- Add the fat to a heavy bottomed stockpot; simmer, uncovered, over medium- low heat, stirring and scraping occasionally with a wooden spoon. It takes about 30 minutes for the fat to melt and crackle, leaving small bits of browned fats floating on the surface.
- Using a fine sieve strain the melted fat and get rid of those small bits. Most people keep them, I don’t.
- Return the rendered fat to the stockpot and add the diced or minced meat, keeping it over medium-low and stirring every now and then. Do not cover the the stockpot. The meat will expel water while cooking, so you need to cook it with the fat for about 25 minutes until water evaporates from the meat. You will end up with the meat and fat, since fat doesn’t evaporate. Set aside to completely cool down, then ladle into clean dry jars.
- It is preferable to store the awarma in the fridge. It keeps well for 1 year. Happy eating!!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!