If Your Burger Had A Passport: Arayes meet Hawawshi

I love a good burger, but I wanted to try something new. Enter Arayes, a Middle Eastern street food and Hawawshi, its Egyptian counterpart—spiced ground beef stuffed in pita, grilled, and served with a dip. I combined the two, added jalapeño, and paired it with an herby yogurt sauce. Y’all .. yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef

4 pita breads (pocket style - or 4 tortillas)

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds removed for less heat, if desired)

1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, finely choppped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini or yogurt (optional, for extra moisture)

Yogurt Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt or Labneh

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice + zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional: Add 1-2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses for a zesty tang

Directions:

1. Prepare the Meat Filling: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, onion, garlic, jalapeño, parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, spices, salt, and pepper. Add tahini or yogurt if needed for moisture.

2. Stuff the Pitas: Cut pitas in half and stuff each with the meat mixture, ensuring even distribution. If using tortillas, just flatten the raw beef on one side, cook meat-side-down, flip, fold like a quesadilla

3. Cook: Heat olive oil in a skillet or grill pan. Cook stuffed pitas for 3-5 minutes per side until golden and the meat is cooked. Alternatively, grill or bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway.

4. Make the Sauce: Mix yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and pomegranate molasses (optional) in a bowl.

5. Serve: Slice pitas and serve with the herby yogurt sauce.