Shawarma

Shawarma is popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean and is sometimes called the Middle Eastern taco. It originated in northwestern Turkey as döner kebab. But it reached its current form and popularity with the Turkish population in Germany. The sandwich is now found in a variety of forms around the world.

4 servings

• Lean lamb or beef, or boneless, skinless chicken, sliced very thinly -- 2 pounds
• Garlic, minced -- 3-4 cloves
• Salt -- 2 teaspoons
• Pepper -- 1 teaspoon
• Ground allspice -- 1 teaspoon
• Ground cardamom -- 1 teaspoon
• Ground cloves -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Ground nutmeg -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Yogurt -- 1 cup
• Vinegar or lemon juice -- 1/4 cup

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl and set aside to marinate for anywhere from 1 hour to overnight. Drain and discard any excess marinade.
2. To Broil: Heat an oven broiler to high. Spread the meat evenly in a single layer on an ovenproof pan. Set 4-6 inches under the broiler flame and broil until cooked through, 5-8 minutes. Stir halfway through to cook evenly.
3. To Grill: Heat coals or set gas to high heat. Spread the meat in a grill basket and grill until cooked through, 5-8 minutes, turning occasionally.
4. Serve inside folded pita bread with your choice of garnishes (see variations).

Variations

• Condiments and Garnishes: Shawarma is commonly served with tahini (taratour) sauce, yogurt sauce or garlic mayonnaise. Other garnishes include chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, shredded lettuce, sliced red onion, pickles, mango pickle, hummus or even French fries.
• Gyros (Greece): Serve with tzatziki sauce.
• Döner Kebab (Turkey): Serve with cacik sauce (see tzatziki variations).
• Lavash bread can be used instead of pita. Roll all of the ingredients up in a piece of lavash like a burrito to make a Middle Eastern wrap.
• Shawarma is sometimes made with a mixture of meats. There is even turkey shawarma. Goat meat shawarma is popular in Saudi Arabia.
• Vary the number and amount of spices to your own taste. Some recipes call for cinnamon to be added to the mix.

Notes

• Shawarma meat is typically shaved off a large rotating cone of layered meat. The meat is roasted with radiant gas or electric heat. Pieces of meat are sliced off and served in a folded pita with garnishes and condiments.
• The word shawarma is an approximation of the Turkish word for "roast." Sometimes spelled shwarma. Known as guss in Iraq.