Arayes

Preheat oven to 350°F

BEEF: 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
ONION: 1 small yellow onion, grated and squeezed dry
GARLIC: 5 garlic cloves, finely grated
JAL: 1 jalapeño, grated
PASTE: 2 tbsp tomato paste
PARSLEY: 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
CILANTRO: 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
OIL: 1 tbsp olive oil
ICE: 1 tbsp ice water
SPICES: salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika, allspice, coriander, garlic powder, cinnamon
FILLING: mix until fully combined and slightly sticky BEEF ONION GARLIC JAL PASTE PARSLEY CILANTRO OIL ICE SPICES

PITA: 4 pitas, cut in half
warm briefly, then open each pocket PITA
STUFFED: spread a thin layer inside each pocket PITA FILLING
brush the outside generously with olive oil STUFFED
SEARED: sear meat side down 1-2 minutes, then each pita side until golden STUFFED
BAKED: bake 15 minutes, until the meat reaches 155°F SEARED
brush with olive oil, minced garlic and parsley BAKED

YOGURT: 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
TAHINI: 1/4 cup tahini
GARLIC2: 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
LEMON: juice of 1/2 lemon
OIL2: 1 tbsp olive oil
SALT2: 1/2 tsp salt
CUMIN2: 1/4 tsp cumin
HERBS: 2 tbsp each parsley and cilantro, finely chopped
SAUCE: mix until smooth YOGURT TAHINI GARLIC2 LEMON OIL2 SALT2 CUMIN2 HERBS

serve BAKED SAUCE

Ingredients

Meat mixture

• 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
• 1 small yellow onion, grated and squeezed dry
• 5 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 jalapeño, grated
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp ice water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Assembly

• 4 pitas, cut in half
• Olive oil, for brushing

Garlic tahini yogurt sauce

• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

The diagram groups the eight spices into one block. They all go into the same bowl at the same moment, so splitting them into eight rows would add height without adding structure.

Notes

Squeeze the onion. Grated onion carries a lot of water, and water in the mixture steams the pita from the inside instead of crisping it. Wring the gratings out in a towel before they go in the bowl.

The ice water and olive oil are not optional. They are what keep an 85/15 mixture from drying out over a sear plus fifteen minutes in the oven. Mix until the meat turns slightly sticky and holds together — that texture is what makes it stay put inside the pita rather than sliding out in one piece.

Opening the pockets. Cold pita tears. A few seconds in the microwave makes the halves flexible enough to open cleanly.

Spread thin. A thick layer will not cook through in the time the pita takes to go from golden to burnt. Aim to see the shape of the pocket through the meat.

Sear meat side first. The exposed meat face wants direct contact with the pan for the char; the bread sides only need to crisp. Finish in the oven rather than pushing the pan further — 155°F internal, which is where the meat is set but still juicy.

Finish with garlic oil. Brushing the hot arayes with olive oil, minced raw garlic and parsley as they come out of the oven is the step that makes them taste like a restaurant version rather than a stuffed sandwich.