Beef shawarma
A denser, meatier version: beef in warm spices, quick-pickled onion and plenty of fresh herbs.
Method
- Cut the beef into thin strips across the grain. Mix with oil, soy sauce and spices and marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Slice the onion into thin half-rings, cover with the vinegar plus a pinch of salt and sugar, leave 15–20 minutes, then squeeze out.
- Get a pan with a spoon of oil very hot. Sear the beef in batches over high heat for 3–4 minutes — it should brown but stay juicy. Don't cover it.
- Shred the cabbage or tear the salad, slice the cucumbers and tomatoes, chop the herbs.
- Warm the flatbread, spread with white sauce. Add the meat, pickled onion, vegetables and lots of herbs, then hot sauce.
- Roll up tightly and toast the finished parcel in a dry pan until crisp.
Tips
- Beef is easy to overcook. Pull it off the heat as soon as the pink is gone from the outside — it finishes on its own.
- Swap the pickled onion for fresh red onion if you prefer — it's milder and sweeter than white.
How to serve
Great with the hot tomato sauce and a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the meat before assembling.