ARAIS 

ARAIS 

Imagine a roasted, crispy pita with a smoked aroma filled with well-spiced, juicy, ground beef. That’s what arais is, made using an old Middle Eastern recipe. Moroccan grandmothers make it in a pop-up toaster, and the Lebanese consider it a street food. It’s made a comeback these days and is served in many food establishments. 

Serves about 10 

• 10 pita halves
• ½ cup oil coarse salt
• pepper
• tomatoes, cut in half (optional)

MEAT FILLING 

• 1 lb (½ kg) ground beef (use a fatty meat or grind in a little sheep fat)
• 1 onion,very finely chopped
• bunch of parsley,chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp harissa (sweet or hot, to suit your taste)
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts (optional)
• salt and pepper

TECHINA 

• 1 cup tahini paste
• 1 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic,
• minced juice of ½ lemon
•  salt and pepper

Home preparation: In a large bowl, mix all arais ingredients into a smooth mixture. Put 2 Tbsp of the beef mixture into each pita half. Arrange all filled pitas, side by side, in a sealable container.

Cover and wrap container in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. To make the techina, blend tahini paste with water, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to an airtight container.

Packaging: Put container with filled pitas directly on top of ice inside a cooler or insulated bag. Keep the techina in the cooler/bag as well, and bring along the oil, a brush for the oil, and bags with salt and pepper.