Serves 4 -6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
This Cairo street food staple is simple and versatile – a must-have for your sandwich repertoire. Baking the beef mixture and sandwich together marries the flavors and allows for the rendered fat to crisp up the pita. If you don’t want to bake your own, or can’t find the true Egyptian pita (check your local Middle Eastern grocer and ask for baladi bread), just substitute whole wheat pita instead.
Ingredients:
½ green bell pepper
½ white onion
2 cloves garlic
½ bunch parsley
¼ bunch cilantro
¼ bunch mint leaves
1 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp harissa
3 Baladi breads
1 cup tahini, loosened with water
Dash of hot sauce
Method:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While waiting for the oven to come up to temperature, finely dice the green bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro and mint. Place in a large mixing bowl along with the beef, paprika, coriander, salt, cinnamon and harissa. Mix well to combine.
Cut the Baladi bread in quarters, then fill with the meat mixture. Place on the baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the bread is crispy. Serve with a side of tahini and a dash of hot sauce.