Lebanese Beef Shawarma (One-Pot Wonder)
Description
Tender strips of beef are marinated in a richly seasoned blend of vinegar, fresh orange juice, and lemon juice, then slow-cooked to perfection. The result is melt-in-your-mouth meat served with beautifully roasted tomatoes—a comforting dish that’s perfect for a casual dinner or elegant enough to take center stage on your holiday table.
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 kg 2 lb 4 oz beef sirloin, strip steak, or tenderloin
- 9 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 4 whole tomatoes
- ½ cup oil a combination of sunflower oil and olive oil
- 1 heaped teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon mastic gum optional but recommended
- Accompaniments
- Taratour Lebanese tahini sauce
- A generous bowl of hummus
- Lebanese pickles
- 2 onions sliced
- 2 cups finely chopped parsley
- Radishes sliced
- Lebanese or pita bread
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade by mixing the oil, lemon juice, orange juice, and red vinegar. Add the spices—cinnamon powder, grated nutmeg, black pepper, ginger powder, cardamom powder, and ground cloves—along with the salt and crushed mastic, if using. Whisk well until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the marinade is homogeneous, ensuring the seasonings are evenly distributed and will coat the meat uniformly.
- Place the meat in a large bowl, pour over the marinade, and stir well to coat. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. During this time, the meat will slowly absorb the marinade, allowing the flavors to penetrate deeply into the shawarma meat.
- Transfer the meat and marinade to a large stockpot, and add the three whole tomatoes.
- Place the stockpot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Do not add any water. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and simmer for 4 hours.Check the pot from time to time. There should be a small amount of liquid remaining after 4 hours. If there is still too much liquid, uncover the pot, increase the heat, and cook until the excess liquid has evaporated and only a small amount remains.
The Casual Way
To build your shawarma wrap, take a spoonful of the roasted tomatoes from the pot and smash them onto the pita bread. Place some shawarma horizontally across the pita, then garnish with sliced onion, chopped parsley, radishes, and pickles. Drizzle with tahini sauce, roll up the wrap, and enjoy!Alternatively, heat your panini press, place the shawarma wraps in the heated press, and toast for a few minutes until the pita bread is crisp.
The Festive Way
Another option is to serve it during the holidays as a centerpiece platter for a special dinner party. Transfer the cooked shawarma, including the roasted tomatoes, to a beautiful serving platter, and arrange it with all the suggested fixings: pickles, radishes, sliced onion, and chopped parsley, with taratour served on the side. It makes for a beautiful and festive dish that is perfect for entertaining.
Video
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