Fleishigs Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Shifra Klein, gives popular arayes (meat-stuffed pita pocket) an American twist.
This is my American spin on arayes, Middle Eastern stuffed meat pitas. I replaced the Middle Eastern flavors of herbs and cumin with beef fry and barbecue sauce to create a fantastic grilled treat that will impress family and friends.
American Arayes
Ingredients
- 2 4 oz packages of beef fry
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2-4 pitas
- green goddess dressing for serving
Instructions
- Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat and immediately add the beef fry. Let cook 5 minutes per side, until fat is rendered and the beef fry gets crisp. Remove from pan, let cool and then finely chop. Reserve remaining fat.
- Combine the chopped beef fry, ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, barbecue sauce, garlic powder, black pepper and salt together.
- Slice pitas in half and gently stuff meat mixture inside, making sure not to rip the pita bread.
- Brush reserved beef fry fat (or oil) over the pita and exposed beef and grill over medium heat for 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Serve hot with green goddess dressing.
Green Goddess Dressing
Servings: 1.5 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup real mayonnaise
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 2 scallions, roughly chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach (or watercress)
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Up to 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Blend ingredients together until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Store, covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Sounds amazing. Two questions
1. The ground meat is stuffed in the pita raw and than grilled?
2. I’ve seen beef fry but haven’t gotten myself to get it and use it. Is it really mostly fat? In a nut shell , what’s it about
Will this still work if I skip the beef fry?