Mum’s lamb shawarma

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg lamb backstrap, cut into 1 cm slices
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sumac
• 150 g lamb fat, finely chopped
• Lebanese bread, sliced tomatoes, Lebanese pickles, to serve

For the marinade

• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small orange wedge
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp yoghurt
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 2 tbsp shawarma spice mix (see Note)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cloves (optional)
• ¼ tsp crushed mastic (optional)
• 1 bay leaf (optional)

For the tahini sauce

• ½ cup tahini
• ¼ cup cold water
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt

Marinating time: 4-12 hours

Instructions

1. Place the lamb into a large mixing bowl. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour the marinade over the lamb and mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.
2. Toss the red onion with the sumac, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the tahini sauce, whisking to combine. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
3. When ready to cook, heat a heavy-based frying pan or chargrill pan over high heat. Add the lamb fat and render the fat, cooking until the fat is golden and crisp. Working in batches, add the marinated lamb to the rendered fat and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and slightly charred. Add a handful of sliced onions (reserve the rest to serve!) towards the end of the cooking time, tossing through the lamb.
4. To serve, warm the Lebanese bread. Spread some of the prepared tahini sauce down the centre of the bread, then top with the lamb, tomato, remaining sumac onions, and pickles. Drizzle with some of the rendered fat from the pan, roll tightly, and wrap up. Serve hot. 

Note

You can source shawarma spice blend from Middle Eastern grocery stores.

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