Post Type ArchivesRecipes

Dry Char Siu Noodles (Ba Mee Haeng Moo Daeng)

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Dry Char Siu Noodles with wontons and baby bok choy

Dry Char Siu Noodles is the first item of my Charsiu series, mostly inspired by my trip to Thailand last year.

Thailand ? But Char Siu Pork is typically Chinese, right ?

Yep, but then history and migrations came into play. In Thailand, dishes like Char Siu noodles, Char Siu noodle soup, and Char Siu over rice are extremely popular and widely considered part of everyday Thai food culture.

Thailand has a large and influential Thai-Chinese population, particularly from southern China (like the Teochew and Hokkien communities). Over generations, Chinese immigrants brought dishes like char siu, wonton noodles, and rice dishes — and adapted them to local tastes.

I’m very thankful for these population shifts, that gave birth to the best of what Thai street-food has to offer ; proof again, if needs be, that through diversity we emerge stronger.

I have a strong Dry Char Siu memory, which dates back from the very first evening of our trip. After walking across Bangkok, by and large, we simply wanted to sit and grab noodles. I had a great hole-in-the-wall place in mind, and we were struggling to find it.

Finally, we spotted it into a tiny alley ; an unassuming street-food stall, with noodles, broth, Char Siu, crab meat, and a few toppings. That’s all. When me smelled the smells, though, and watched the beauty of these simple bowls, we immediately ordered, super excited.

This was bliss. I remember eating it and thinking I could easily order two in a row. I tried to recreate it just the way it was, minus the crab meat ; it was close -but not as perfect as this beautiful bowl you see.

Bonus : If your Char Siu is ready, this really is a 15 minutes recipe.

Dry Char Siu Noodles – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • Char Siu Pork
    • If feeling lazy, simply buy it premade from your nearest Chinese market, if it offers some ;
    • I advise you to make it yourself : here is my Char Siu recipe, easy and providing you with enough leftovers for lots of different meals !
    • Tip : Keep some in your freezer for whenever you fancy.
    • As a replacement for Char Siu, you can definitely use canned crab meat.
  • Noodles & Wontons
    • I recommend using fresh, thin, yellow egg noodles (Ba Mee), similar to Cantonese-style wonton noodles.
    • If not available, use any type of dry noodles (quite thin, idelly) you have on hand !
    • Wontons are fully optional here.
    • Tip : To avoid sticky noodles, was them with cold watern then with warm water right before serving.
  • Toppings
    • My non-negociables here would only be scallions.
    • Besides this, feel free to add any type of greens you like, pickled chili peppers, fried garlic/shallots…. These are your noods !

Let’s get saucy!

Authentic Char Siu Pork (Barbecue pork)

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Shiny Glazed Char Siu Pork

I recently discovered Le Royal China, an authentic Chinese restaurant in Paris. Proper Dim Sums were finally on the menu, but also Char Siu Pork, and Peking Duck ! I couldn’t wait to try the Char Siu, to see how it compared to my own recipe.

I do not mean to boast, and I’m simply being transparent : mine was vastly better than the restaurant’s version, be it texture-wise or taste-wise.

In my recipe, the meat is properly grilled, which you can always adjust towards the end, as it massively depends on your oven types. The pork is tender and juicy, with a strong savoury taste due to the hoisin sauce, fermented bean curd and soy sauce, all enriched with the 5-spices and the sugar/honey. This gives birth to a mesmerizing glaze, that is as tasty as it is shiny and pretty on the outside.

This glaze is the reason why my favourite way of eating Char Siu is extremely simple : a bowl of rice, Char Siu slices, a generous glaze amount, and a few cucumber slices. That’s it. That really is all you need, because Char Siu is a powerhouse it itself.

Char Siu might seem intimidating at first, as all large pieces of charred meats seem to involve lots of work. It is actually much simpler than it looks, with 20 minutes of prep work, and 40 minutes of oven-cooking, tops :

  • First, cut your pork shoulder along the grain, in long 4 to 5 cm strips. Other recipes recommend around 2cm strips, but I find it juicier that way ;
  • Poke your meat well with a fork ;
  • Make your marinade, then pour it with your pork in a ziploc bag ;
  • Let it rest at least 7 hours ;
  • Cook it a preaheated oven, and glaze it 3 times while it cooks.

This dish shows that Chinese cuisine has much more to offer than your usual stir-fries, noodles and raviolis. Every bite is a contrast of texture and taste—a dance of crisp, chewy, and meltingly tender. There’s a primal satisfaction in it, with the full barbecue pleasure dressed up wih a bold, sweet-smoky glaze.

Plus, this is your ideal crowd-friendly dish. The overall cost for 12 servings was around 15€, including the marinade ingredients. Seriously, less than 1€ per serving. For something that tastes positively splendid.

Bon appétit !

Authentic Char Siu Pork (Barbecue pork) – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • Be careful to account for the marinade time ! It’s best to prep this dish the day before you cook it. Do not let it marinade more than 24 hours though, or the texture might be less juicy.
  • If you want to have enough sauce to make around 6 servings of Char Siu with rice, double the marinade amount and save half of it before marinating the pork ; after a few minutes in the pan, this will be your sauce.
  • Pork :
    • I really recommend pork shoulder (pork neck, more precisely : in French, careful, it is “échine de porc” that you need, not “épaule de porc”) for this recipe. as it reaches the perfect amount of fat to muscle to make it juicy, but not excessively greasy. You can still go for the fattier pork belly if you feel like it, or if that’s what you can get.
    • Also, remember to cut against the grain to get a tender texture.
  • Marinade ingredients :
    • You will need to go to a decent Asian store to find what you need, especially for the red fermented bean curd, which looks like this :

Lao Heng He Red Fermented Bean Curd - 285g – Umall - Australia's Largest Online Asian Supermarket

    • Red food coloring : It’s OK if you cannot find this, as it only serves esthetic purposes ; the glaze is even more appealing in a deep red color than a darkish brow one.
  • The remaining ingredients are either basic Asian pantry items or produce you can easily find at the grocery store.

How to eat Char Siu Pork

  • There are several delicious ways of eating Char Siu Pork, my favourites being :
    • Char Siu Pork over Rice, with the glaze and a few cucumbers of blanched Pak Choi ;
    • Char Siu Noodle soup ;
    • Dry Char Siu Noodles ;
    • Char Siu Banh Mi.

Let’s dig into it !

Sea Bream Tagine

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Sea bream tagine with vegetables, olives and lemon

I’m usually not big on cooked fish, especially cooked white fish. I find it tricky to get a juicy, pearly-white fish.

I simply heard wonders about this particular Tagine, and I was intrigued. The very same week, I went to the nearby Arabic stores near where I live, at Porte de Clignancourt, and bought my first tagine !

I will say this : this Sea Bream Tagine lived up to its reputation. I’m so grateful for my colleague and his recommendation -Anass, if you ever stop by, thanks !!

To put it plainly, this Sea Bream was amongst the best fishes I have ever eaten. The closed tagine kept it fully moist, with a very indirect cooking, since the fish sat on top of all the veggies, far from the base heat. The full fish, with its bones and head, was far more flavourful than a simple fillet. And of course, the lemony Sharmoula, besides seasoning the tender vegetables, infuses the fish with a delicate freshness and needed tang.

There are only a few simple steps to this Sea Bream Tagine :

  • make a quick Sharmoula ;
  • marinade your fish with Sharmoula ;
  • cut up your veggies ;
  • assemble it all in your Tagine and cook away !

You will feel so glad once this low-effort meal is ready, with all its fragrances wafting through your home.

Sea Bream Tagine – Recipe

Tagine 101 – For Tagine new users

  • Choosing the right Tagine
    • Use a clay or earthenware tagine, preferably unglazed. This allows the vessel to breathe and develop flavor over time.
    • Avoid varnished/glazed interiors (unless certified food-safe), as some glazes may contain toxic substances.
    • Look for traditional Moroccan tagines labeled as suitable for cooking—not just decorative.
    • Choose the size based on servings; a 30–35 cm (12–14 inch) base is great for 4–6 people.
  • Seasoning a New Tagine (especially unglazed clay)
    • Submerge the entire tagine (lid and base) in water for 12–24 hours before first use. This strengthens the clay. You can use your sink, a large bucket, or your bathtub !
    • Remove from water and let it dry completely, around 6 hours at least.
    • That’s it ! And don’t forget to coat the inner base of your tagine with olive oil before using.

Ingredients – Pieces of advice

  • Fish :
    • Sea bream is a popular choice for tagine because of its firm, white flesh, mild but slightly sweet flavor, and ability to hold its shape during slow cooking. It complements the rich, spiced, and citrusy flavors of Moroccan tagine without overpowering them.
    • If you need to replace sea bream, use sea bass or snapper.
  • Veggies :
    • Feel free to play around with the veggies ! Favourites for the tagine, apart from those listed here, comprise carrots and sweet potato. Try to adjust depending on the season !
    • I absolutely love olives here, but you can skip them if you don’t like it. I recommend using purple olives, ideally, but you can also use green ones or black ones.
    • Salt is your friend here ! It is important to salt both your veggies and your fish properly to end up with a tasty tagine.
  • Sharmoula : Unskippable here ! Here it my Sharmoula recipe.

Off to your kitchen now !

Sharmoula (Chermoula)

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If you think cilantro tastes like soap, fair warning : skip this recipe.

For all my cilantro lovers though, you’re right where you need to be ! I have an infinite love for this herb, for when used appropriately, it can turn around many Oriental or Asian dish.

This chermoula is mostly about cilantro and parsley. Think of it as a sort of radiant Arabic Pesto cousin ; it’s bright, fragrant and citrusy all at once.

The garlic, lemon and preserved lemon bring our herbs to the next level. Spice it up with salt, paprika and cumin ; or go all in, like I do, with a bit of optional turmeric, ginger and cayenne if so wished.

There you go ! No cooking and no blending needed : mince everything, toss it together with a liberal amount of olive oil, and within 10 minutes you’ll be in possession of a powerful, versatile marinade.

It pairs especially well with fish, but the list of relevant associations is endless. Use it it tagines, on poultry and meats, or even to season some cooked veggies : Chermoula is always a good idea !

Sharmoula – Recipe

Ingredients, process – Advice & key points

  • Olive oil : As usual for recipes with little ingredients and no cooking, I strongly recommend using a good quality olive oil.
  • Citruses :
    • I like my Sharmoula to be quite lemony. Adapt the lemon juice amount to your own taste and to your lemon strength, starting with half the amount !
    • Beldi lemon are preserved lemon that you will find in jars, like this : Odysea Preserved Beldi Lemons (360g)Skip it if you can’t find it online or in Oriental grocery stores, but I must say they lend a more complex flavour than classic lemon -with the sharpness softened and bitterness heightened. 
    • Mince it whole, skin included !
  • Basil : Try to make this recipe in summer, as off-season basil is just not tasty.

Using your sharmoula – Pieces of advice

  • Very useful trick : Make a batch of sharmoula, then freeze your leftovers easily ! You just have to use an ice cube tray.
  • As I said, this Sharmoula pairs well with almost everything, but here is a list of my favourites:
    • In my Sea Bream Tagine, which is what I originally made it for ;
    • Stuffed into sardines, which you then fry in a bit of oil ;
    • With chicken, left to marinate for a few hours, then grilled & served upon rice ;
    • With lamb and potatoes ;
    • With broiled asparagus and cherry tomatoes.

Now come and cook !

Nduja Pasta (spicy Calabrian pasta)

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Nduja Pasta with a red onion, olive and basil topping

It’s 7PM. You’re home after a long workday.

You’re feeling like easy pasta. Not canned sauces pasta, because let’s be honest, they stink ; but quick and healthy-ish pasta.

Nduja Pasta is here for you ! Only 3 ingredients besides pasta are necessary here :

  • quality canned tomatoes ;
  • red onion ;
  • and of course, Nduja!

Nduja is a spicy, spreadable pork sausage from Calabria, southern Italy. It’s made with pork, chili peppers, and spices, and has a soft, pâté-like texture. It’s often used on bread, pizza, pasta, or in sauces.

You don’t need to use much ; the tomato-ey flavour will dominate the flavour profile, with an added depth of taste from the nduja.

Here, I decided to go for slightly fancier Nduja pasta than the classic recipe, with an added condiment made of olives, red onion and basil, for more texture and umami ; but you can definitely skip it, as the classic recipe packs more than enough pleasure on its own.

Nduja Pasta – Recipe

Ingredients – Tips & where to find them

  • Nduja: You can easily find it online, or at most Italian grocery stores. Pay attention to the level of spiciness indicated ; sometimes, it’s signaled as extra-hot!
  • Basil: A really nice addition, but you can do without.
  • Olive oil : As usual, try to use quality olive oil if you can, it’s extremely rewarding.
  • Pecorino: Love to sprinkle some at the end, but it’s olive oil which is key here.
  • Pasta: Don’t forget the Pasta 101 rule of using bronze-cut pasta, that cling to the sauce much better! The preferred type here would be fresh Fileja pasta, but dried Trofie works wonders -and so would most other short-shaped pasta.

Recipe – Advice & key points

  • Nduja: I saw some recipes indicating to first roast the Nduja in olive oil, before adding tomato sauce. I once made it that way and the Nduja taste had almost fully disappeared by the end of the cooking. Adding it only 5 minutes before turning off the heat will alllow it to preserve its aromatics and distinctive spicy, smoky character. Don’t worry, it will melt right into the sauce.
  • Olive, red onion & basil condiment : Optional, but I liked the addition of umami and texture. Skip it and it’ll be just as good ! Although I would still recommend a little basil addition.
  • Other topping ideas : Feel free to have fun here ! A lovely and indulgent variation is adding stracciatella straight onto your plate. Yum.

All set ? Let’s cook some spicy pasta !

Easy English Breakfast

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English breakfast with sausage, bacon, egg, beans, mushrooms and grilled tomato

I have some obsessions, food-wise. One of them is banh-mis ; another would be pasta salads, or also raviolis, and the list goes on.

A solidly anchored one is English Breakfast. I have a passion for savoury breakfasts, which culminates with the traditional English one.

I remember reading a book in my earlier days ; a simple, cringe teenager romance book, wrote by an English woman. There was a breakfast description, made my a humble mom, which I remember to this day. She described how she cooked the bacon and sausages, the eggs, the tomatoes, the toast : simple -less elaborate than the full English- but beautiful, homely, and extremely crave-worthy.

I won’t rave about the great bacon-sausage-egg triplet ; I know you know. When you add beans and tomatoes though, it creates a whole new dimension for this dish. It all becomes more balanced, with a sweeter flavour brought by the beans, as well as a saucy sauce you get dip your toast in. The tomato, slightly grilled, adds freshness and umami to the somewhat greasy meats.

There is one central piece of meat from the Full English that is lacking : black pudding, which is a type of blood sausage. I simply couldn’t find it in Paris, so I skipped it. Definitely include it if you can !

Easy English Breakfast – Recipe

Ingredients – Tips & where to find them

  • Bacon : Here, you want the English kind of bacon -English back bacon, not pork belly : rather lean and not too thin, contrary to the US one, as you see on the picture. It won’t get too crispy, it’s rather meaty, so you grill it. If hard to find, simply replace with what bacon you have on hand !
  • Sausages : Ideally, you want to find small English breakfast sausages. I replaced them with French small sausages ; choose according to what’s available near you !
  • Beans : Use canned Heinz beans, as the English do ! You’ll find them at any English store.
  • Toast : I simply popped them in the toaster for more ease. If you want it the traditional way, you’ll need to fry them in the pan with oil and butter.
  • Eggs : The most traditional egg type you’ll come across is the sunny side up, but you can go for scrambled eggs for more ease, which I do when I have more than one person to serve.
  • Mushroooms : I went a bit French here and added garlic and chives. Do as you please, so long as they’re browned and nicely cooked !

Recipe – Advice & key points

  • Oven : Using the oven here is key to a stress-free breakfast prep ! Turn it on at 60°C, which is enough to keep food warm. Put your bacon, sausages, mushrooms and tomatoes there once they’re cooked/grilled. Then simply finish cooking with your eggs and toasts and serve everything warm !
  • Amounts : Yes, this is more than a breakfast : the quantities are definitely large, so either adjust and share, or think of it as a brunch -but don’t tell the English I said that.

All set ? Let’s cook the GOAT of breakfasts !

Umami Tuna Pasta Salad

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Umami Tuna pasta salad with snap peas, red onions, basil and wild garlic

Yesterday, the weather was 26°C. As I went home from work, I knew I was going to whip up my go-to : tuna pasta salad ! When I feel lazy, I cook my pasta, add cherry tomatoes, pour a tuna can, add olive oil and that’s it. Makes my day everytime.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Tuna pasta salad ? Booring ! And we all know how to make one.

I still think this recipe is worth posting. Ever since I started cooking, I kept improving, little by little, my understanding of how you build a dish. Here are 5 tips to make this dish significantly better than what I’d get from my local bakery :

  • For boosted umami, anchovies in oil and olives are great choices, and pair well with the base tuna protein here.
  • You need to add acidity and bitterness to create flavour depth, here through celery and lemon.
  • You can bump the overall flavour though simple choices : not forgetting about fresh herbs -basil and wild garlic here- and investing in a quality olive oil.
  • Textures matter. Pasta salads can be on the softer side ; by adding sugar snap peas, not only do you round the flavour with its sweetness, but also bring forward a much needed crunch.
  • Finally, don’t forget to add enough salt ! For 2 people’s worth of salad, you need a LARGE pinch of salt. 

Umami Tuna Pasta Salad – Recipe

Ingredients – Where to find them

You might need to visit an Italian store to find quality anchovies in oil. For all the other items, no issues should arise in finding them ! 

Ingredients – Advice & key points

Not much to say here ; it’s a straight-forward salad!

  • Don’t buy low-quality olives ! My personal favourites are the Kalamata or Taggiasche kind.
  • Feel free to switch herbs ! Wild garlic in particular is skippable ; and basil could be replaced with chives, for example, even though the taste would be less intense.  
  • I like my sugar snap peas raw here. Taste them as is, and if you don’t enjoy it raw, blanch them 2 minutes in salted water ! 
  • If you cannot find sugar snap peas, replace them with green beans. 

All set ? Let’s make this Umami Tuna Pasta Salad!

Easy Mapo Tofu (Spicy tofu and meat sauce)

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The first time I had Mapo Tofu, I was in my own kitchen, experimenting.

As I tasted, I froze, basking in this one-of-a-kind peppery and spicy taste. I remember thinking : I-do-not understand the reasoning of most Chinese restaurants in France. How crazy they almost never sell this dish ! It would be an absolute banger –rich, comforting, with a generous pork sauce made extra cozy with the added soft tofu texture ; and at the same time, you get a slap in the face from the added peppercorns and chilies. 

My companion went on and on about it for days. Everytime I talk about making Mapo Tofu, it is the main event in the house -though I have to limit it so we don’t become walking donuts. 

I tried to craft a recipe that is as quick (30 minutes ! Yes !!) as it is authentic, centered around the traditional recipe that goes back to Chen Mapo, the wife of a restaurant’s owner. “Ma” (麻) means pockmarked, referring to her facial scars, and “Po” (婆) means old woman or grandmother. So, “Mapo” roughly translates to “pockmarked old woman”, a nickname locals gave her. 

Madame Chen was known for her flavorful and spicy tofu dish, which she served to laborers, especially those working along the Jinjiang River, in Chengdu. The dish became locally famous for its:

ChatGPT a dit Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) is a classic Sichuan (Szechuan) dish with deep cultural and culinary roots in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China. Its origins date back to the late 19th century (Qing Dynasty) and are closely associated with a small restaurant called Chen Xingsheng Restaurant.

  • Málà (麻辣) flavor: a distinctive combination of numbing (má) from Sichuan peppercorns and spicy (là) from chili oil

  • Soft tofu: offering a smooth contrast to the bold, oily sauce

  • Minced beef or pork: though beef is more traditional in Sichuan

  • Fermented black beans (dòuchǐ 豆豉) and doubanjiang (豆瓣酱): fermented bean-based ingredients, that give the dish its signature depth.

I know the red color might seem impressive, but Mapo Tofu does not have to be crazy spicy. The doubanjiang paste, that is the core of this recipe, is quite mild ; the added heat comes from the red chilies used, so it is all a matter of adjustment. 

Easy Mapo Tofu – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • I used pork here, but you can definitely use beef instead, which is a popular choice in the Szechuan region.
  • Only 3 ingredients will require a trip to the Asian store, but they are usually easy to find :  
    • Doubanjiang, or Toban Jan : spicy, salty paste made from fermented beans and soybeans, salt, rice and various spices. I usually go for the Lee Kum Kee Toban Djan brand.

 

Amazon.com : Lee Kum Kee Chili Bean Sauce (13 oz - 1 Pack), Toban Sauce, Sichuan Style, Mild Spice, Perfect for Stir-Frying, Noodles, Seafood, Mapo Tofu, and Dipping Sauces : Grocery & Gourmet Food

 

    • Dòuchǐ: a type of fermented and salted black soybean, prized for its deep, savory umami flavor. Either choose the dry kind, or the one preserved in oil -but in such case, remove as much of the salty oil as possible before adding to your dish.

 

  • Soeos Chinese Douchi, Fermented Black BeansAmazon.com : SXET Femented Black Bean Sauce, Sichuan Douchi, Delicious Fermented Black Bean Paste, Black Bean Hot Chili Sauce for Condiment 豆豉酱 9.8oz/280g ( pack of 1), 1.0 Ounce : Grocery & 

 

    • Shaoxing rice wine : one of the essentials of your Chinese pantry ! This one is darker than your classic rice cooking wine, and has a more complex taste.
  • If you cannot find Douchi, simply replace it with 1 extra tablespoon of Doubanjiang. This is how I made it the first time and, although less authentic, it was absolutely just as delicious. 
  • If you don’t own a seasoned carbon-steel wok and only have a nonstick wok or nonstick pan, it’s OK. You’ll just have to preheat it well for a few minutes ; also use 1/2 the amount of oil indicated ; and cook the ingredients a bit longer.
  • The recipe is spicy, but not crazy spicy. 
    • If you’re shy on chilies, remove the fresh one; 
    • If you’re big on chilies, add one more ! 

Let’s wok it up!

Green Shrimp Noodles

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Shrimp noodle salad with a Thai-inspired green sauce and green onions

Noodle salads are the best salads ! The Western classics, with an olive oil/vinegar or a simple mayo base, are great, but sometimes you might crave something more exotic.

I will say this much ; I had a strong Mob inspiration for this one, as I stumbled across a video of Thai-inspired green shrimp noodles. I couldn’t access the recipe, but tried to recreate it my own way.

I found it very clever to make a quick coconut-based dressing, throwing all the ingredients in the blender. It gives mixed green curry / ceviche vibes, with an end salad coming across as zingy, filling, and anything but boring.

This Green shrimp noodles salad is absolutely great for lunch, as it comes together within 15 minutes : 

  • First, soak your noodles
  • Gather all your sauce ingredients, and blend !
  • Quickly cook your noodles along with your snap peas  
  • Assemble, throw a few green onions and chilies if you wish, and enjoy ! 

Green shrimp noodles – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & where to find them

  • Shrimps : I recommend using frozen, peeled shrimps here, to make it even easier. Simply thaw it a few hours in the fridge, or the night before. ww
  • Sugar snap peas :
    • You can replace them with any veggie you want, ideally a bit crispy such as thinly sliced cabbage / mushrooms / bell pepper, depending on the season. 
    • You can either blanch them or eat them raw. Raw sugar snap peas have a crisp, juicy bite and a fresh, grassy sweetness—kind of like a cross between a garden pea and a green bean, but with more crunch. Blanched sugar snap peas (after about 2 minutes in boiling water) become tender-crisp—still snappy, but just slightly softened. The blanching brings out their natural sweetness even more, mellowing the raw grassy notes and giving them a more buttery, smooth flavor.
  • Rice noodles : 
    • Follow package instructions here, and be careful not to overcook them ! Oftentime, you will need to soak them, then to cook them quickly in boiling water.
    • Replace them with any noodles you have on hand -spaghetti or udon would be great, too. 
  • Thai chili jam (Nam Prik Pao) is Thailand’s smoky, sweet, spicy, umami-packed chili jam. Skip it if you don’t have it, or replace it with a mix of chili oil/chili crisp and shrimp paste. 

Let’s dig into it !

Oven Beef shawarma

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A Lebanese restaurant has recently opened near the place I work, and we went there with some colleagues to grab a shawarma. We did not adore the Beef shawarma though ; everything about it was nice, except the meat itself, quite elastic and dry.  

I kept thinking about this meal later, as the flavours, which were on point, made me crave for more. Suddenly, it dawned on me ; I needed to make one myself, and see if I could beat the restaurant’s version!

I researched my subject as much as I could. I wish I had a vertical roaster to make proper shawarma like in Middle-Eastern eateries ; it’s also interesting though to try and make it easy for any home-cook, as it forces you to become creative.

Here I replace the vertical roaster with the horizontal grill from my standard oven, on high heat ; the result is not the same, but it cooks the meat quickly without drying it, which is what you aim for ! 

You could also pan-fry it if you wish, using a cast-iron pan ideally.

Then all that’s left to do is to assemble your pita, with a quickly-made tarator sauce, a few veggies, a bit of parsley ; et voilà ! You’re ready to devour. 

Oven Beef Shawarma – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

  • Be careful to account for the marinade time ! It’s best to prep this dish the day before you cook it.
  • Beef :
    • If choosing from a butcher, I recommend using a good cut of beef, like ribeye or tenderloin, but you can also use flank steak ; the marinade will help tenderizing it. It is important to choose a cut that is not too lean so that the meat remains tender.
    • Also, remember to cut against the grain to get a tender texture.
  • Spices :
    • You will most likely need to visit an Arabic store to find the spices you need -especially for items like powdered cloves, caraway, or cardamom- and pita bread, as well as for the optional pink turnip pickles. 
    • You can either buy each spice separately, or use a Shawarma mix if you happen to find one. 
  • The remaining ingredients are either basic pantry items or produce you can easily find at the grocery store.

How to eat your Oven Beef Shawarma

  • I definitely recommend eating your Beef Shawarma with pita bread and tarator sauce (a tahini-based sauce with lemon).
  • Other veggies that you can choose amongst, for the pita bread assembly, are the following :
    • tomatoes;
    • red onion;
    • cucumber;
    • radishes.
  • Don’t forget to sprinkle parsley, and hot sauce if you feel like it ; there you go ! 
  • You can also make bulgur or rice bowls with the same ingredients, if so wished, which makes it easier to reheat for lunch or later use.

Let’s dig into it !