Lebanese Arayes (Spiced Meat-Stuffed Grilled Pita)

La storia di questo piatto

Arayes means "brides" in Arabic: a pita and its filling of spiced meat, wed and sent to the fire. Its roots lie in the Levant, with Lebanon at its heart and Syria, Jordan and Galilee sharing the table, though no one can say when the first bride was made.

Ingredienti

• 4 piece Pita bread (with pocket)
• 250 g Ground beef
• 250 g Ground lamb
• 1 piece Onion
• 40 g Fresh parsley (leaves)
• 2 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Sumac
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
• 8 g Fine salt
• 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 piece Lemon
• 150 g Greek yogurt

Preparazione

1. If you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 220°C right away: it will have plenty of time to reach temperature while you prepare everything else. Grate the onion on the coarse side of the grater, then squeeze it in your palm to remove excess water: if it stays wet, the mixture becomes soggy and the pita will get soaked. Finely chop the parsley leaves (about 40 g, a generous bunch). Don't skimp on the parsley here: it's what gives freshness to the whole meat mixture.
2. In a large bowl combine the beef and lamb (this blend makes the most flavorful arayes: the beef provides structure, the lamb aroma), the onion, parsley, cumin, sumac, pepper and 8 g of salt. Knead by hand for two minutes, energetically but not roughly, until the mixture becomes compact and sticky: this is the sign that the proteins have bound together and won't crumble during cooking.
3. If you want to be sure about the salt, fry a small ball of the mixture, taste it and adjust now, before stuffing: once cooked, the salt can no longer be corrected. The indicated amount is already sufficient for most palates.
4. Cut each pita (about 18-20 cm) in half: you get 8 pita halves. Gently open the pocket of each with your fingers, without tearing it: it should remain like a small pouch. Divide the mixture into eight equal portions (about 62 g each) and insert each portion into a pocket, pressing it with the back of a spoon and your palm from the outside, all the way to the bottom and to the edges, in a thin, even layer of about 0.5-1 cm. Press the edges well with your fingers so the meat stays sealed and doesn't escape during cooking.
5. Brush both sides of each pita half with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in total: it should glisten, not drip. If using the oven (already at 220°C from the first step), arrange the pita halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, well spaced apart. If using a grill or griddle, heat it over medium heat.
6. Traditional method, on the grill or griddle: cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side, pressing lightly with a spatula, to achieve the characteristic smoky crust; never high heat, which burns the outside and leaves the inside raw. Alternatively, in the preheated oven at 220°C, bake for 15 minutes, turning them halfway through, that is after 7 minutes. With a thin layer the meat cooks quickly inside the pita: they are ready when the bread is golden and crisp, the edge sounds dry when tapped with your knuckles, and from inside comes a sizzle and an intense aroma of cumin and roasted meat.
7. Remove from the heat and let rest for a minute on the cutting board: the juices settle and won't spill when cut. Cut each pita half into triangles with a sharp knife, using a clean stroke so as not to crush the crust.
8. The lemon is only for the table: cut it into wedges and, if you like, squeeze a sprinkle over the freshly cooked arayes to brighten the spices. Serve immediately, piping hot, with the Greek yogurt on the side (and, for those who like it, a spoonful of tahini sauce): the creamy coolness against the hot crunch is the contrast that makes this dish irresistible.