Beef Shawarma in Samoon
beef sandwiches with yogurt–tahini sauce, parsley, red onion, and sliced tomato
Ingredients
- 600 g thin-sliced beef
- 24 g olive oil
- 3 g ground cumin
- 3 g ground coriander
- 3 g paprika
- 1.2 g allspice
- 1.2 g black pepper
- 0.6 g ground cinnamon
- 12 g garlic
- 48 g lemon juice
- 8 g salt
- 160 g plain whole-milk yogurt
- 40 g tahini
- 20 g water
- 120 g red onion
- 10 g parsley
- 240 g tomato
Method
- Dough: Mix the bread component flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt, and oil. Knead 8–10 min until smooth and slightly tacky. Cover and let rise until doubled, 60–90 min.
- Beef: Slice the beef across the grain into strips ~⅛ in / 3 mm thick. Toss with the main-list olive oil, all the ground spices, two-thirds of the garlic, half the lemon juice, and three-quarters of the main-list salt. Cover and refrigerate while the dough rises, at least 1 h or up to overnight.
- Oven: Put a baking stone, steel, or heavy inverted baking sheet on the lower-middle rack. Preheat to 500°F / 260°C for at least 45 min.
- Sauce: Stir the yogurt, tahini, remaining garlic, one-quarter of the main-list lemon juice, half the remaining main-list salt, and the sauce water until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
- Salad: Soak the sliced red onion in cold water for 10 min, then drain and pat dry. Toss with the parsley, remaining lemon juice, and remaining main-list salt. Keep the tomato in slices, separate from the salad.
- Shape: Divide the dough into one piece per sandwich in the scaled yield. Round each piece, cover, and rest 15 min. Roll into ovals ~8×5 in / 20×13 cm and ¼ in / 6 mm thick, tapering both ends to points. Keep the centers evenly thick; do not slash or puncture. If the dough springs back, cover and rest 5 min before continuing. Rest the shaped breads under a light towel for 10–15 min.
- Bake: Transfer gently onto the hot baking surface with a lightly floured peel or flat tray. Bake in batches without crowding, 4–7 min, until inflated and lightly colored. Let the surface reheat between batches. Wrap the baked breads in a clean towel.
- Cook: Heat a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Lift the beef from the marinade and cook in a single layer in batches, ~3–5 min per batch, turning once browned and cooking through. Do not crowd the pan. Discard leftover raw marinade.
- Assemble: Let the bread cool enough to handle, then open along one long edge, watching for steam. If a bread has no full pocket, split through the center with a serrated knife. Spread sauce inside, add the parsley–onion salad and tomato slices, and fill with the hot beef. Serve immediately.
Notes
A home reconstruction of a sandwich described in a Qatar food reel; the original vendor and sauce are unconfirmed. Samoon is Iraqi bread. This version uses skillet-cooked beef and a yogurt–tahini sauce.
Source and attribution
Home adaptation; beef technique from Suzy Karadsheh, The Mediterranean Dish; bread technique from PJ Hamel, King Arthur Baking