Jun 13, 2019 | Beef, Main Course, Recipes
A Beef Shawarma sandwich or plate! Yum! It’s one of my favorites. It’s one of the things I always order when I find myself at a Middle Eastern restaurant anywhere in the world.
Shawarma is sort of like the Greek Gyro or Turkish Doner Kebab; it’s a cone of seasoned meat or meats that’s cooked on a vertical spit. Typically beef, lamb, and chicken are combined to form the large hunk of meat which is slowly grilled as it turns on its axis on the vertical spit. Pieces of cooked meat are shaved off and stuffed in a pita with sauces, veggies, and pickles or placed on a plate with a serving of salad, hummus, rice, and pita bread.
I believe Shawarma started out as Middle Eastern street food where the sandwiches can be taken to go and eaten on as you go. But these days you’ll find mixed meats, beef, and chicken shawarma on fast food and restaurant menus throughout the Middle East and beyond.
We love this tasty dish so much that we make it at home since there really aren’t any good Middle Eastern restaurants where we live. Recently I’ve started making Beef Shawarma in my Instant Pot! It’s the easiest and fastest way to make it!
We usually make Beef Shawarma sandwiches but we’ve also made Beef Shawarma plates and bowls. We also use the leftover meat to top hummus, assuming we havhttp://www.savvynana.com/wp-admin/e leftovers that is!
But really the secret to this Beef Shawarma that tastes like you got it from a Middle Eastern restaurant isn’t in the way it’s cooked, the secret’s in the spice mix that’s rubbed on the meat! Marinating the meat overnight ensures that the meat is infused with the exotic flavors of the spices. Cooking it in the Instant Pot just makes the cooking process faster, but you can actually make it in the oven or on a grill if you don’t own this handy dandy electric pressure cooker.
Once you make the Beef Shawarma you can make it into a sandwich and top with your favorite toppings such as hummus, tahini sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, and I love it with Tzatziki sauce! (I know I’m mixing Arabic and Greek foods, but who cares? It tastes great!)
To make Instant Pot Beef Shawarma you’ll first need to make some of the Shawarma Spice Mix, so click here for the recipe!
Then scroll down for the Instant Pot Beef Shawarma recipe!
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Instant Pot Beef Shawarma
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Instant Pot Beef Shawarma
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Instructions
Using a small knife drill 12 holes all over your roast
Stuff a garlic half in each hole
Mix Shawarma Spice Mix with 2 Tbs. ACV and 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
Rub this spice mixture all over the roast then place the meat in a covered dish or ziplock bag and let rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. I find that overnight works well.
30 minutes before cooking set the meat on the counter and let the temperature go down to room temperature
Place remaining olive oil in instant pot and set pot to saute
Sear the meat on all sides for about 5-8 minutes per side
Add beef broth and remaining ACV to the pot
Cover making sure the valve is set to sealing
Set pot on Manual and adjust time to 60 minutes
When pot turns off allow pressure to release naturally
When pot is completely depressurized carefully open the lid and remove the meat
Shred the meat and place in a bowl or baking sheet. At this point you can use the meat to make sandwiches, plates, or bowls. Or if you prefer you can crisp the ends by sprinkling a bit of the broth over the meat and popping the pan in the oven to broil on high for 10 minutes or just until the ends turn darker brown. If you are crisping it keep a close eye on the meat as it will burn quickly in the broiler.
Store any leftovers with a bit of broth to keep it from drying out. Reheat in the microwave or in the over, drizzle some of the broth over the meat before reheating.
May 9, 2019 | Beef, Main Course, Recipes
Gyros seem to be getting trendy, even the fast food chains are putting them on their menus. Makes sense I guess since Gyro (pronounced YEE-roh) can be considered fast food meaning you can grab a sandwich and eat it on the go. Gyro meat can be either beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or a combination of these meats. The meat is usually ground up and cooked on a vertical spit then thin slices are shaved off as needed to make plates or sandwiches. Having grown up in New York City gyros have always been a familiar food, I remember seeing the big hunks of meat rotating behind a window at the corner deli or diner. Anyway trendy or not we love Gyros, specially beef gyros!
We always grab a gyro or two when we’re in Greece and sometimes in NYC, I mean it’s not like we’re going to set up a huge vertical spit and roast meat for hours. That’s why the Instant Pot is a great addition to my kitchen! I can make Beef Gyros anytime I have a yen for them. The beef gyros made in my Instant Pot tastes pretty authentic and can be made in about half an hour! Doesn’t beat a trip to Athens or Santorini, but it hits the spot!
The Beef Gyros I make in the Instant Pot are tender, juicy, and tasty; in short perfect! We slather the pita with homemade Tzatziki, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce, then fill it with meat and veggies, delicious!
Here’s the recipe for Instant Pot Beef Gyros and Tzatziki Sauce, hope you love it as much as we do!
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The Beef
Ingredients:
2 Lbs. Chuck roast sliced into thin strips about 1/4″ long – cut meat against the grain
1 Large White Onion thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Garlic Powder
1 Tbs. Oregano
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Beef Broth
Shredded Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Purple Onion
Sliced Cucumbers
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
Fresh Pita Bread or Naan
Directions:
Place all the ingredients except the Pita, Lettuce, and Tomato in the Instant Pot
Cover and make sure the valve is in the “Sealing” position
Turn pot on to Manual – high pressure
Set timer to 30 minutes
Once timer goes off allow the pot to sit for 15 minutes. Then switch the valve to “venting” and allow the pot to depressurize.
Remove cover and stir.
While you’re waiting for the meet to cook make your Tzatziki Sauce and prepare your veggies
Place shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a dish and sprikle with Apple Cider Vinegar then set aside until ready to use
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Cup Finely chopped cucumbers – remove seeds before chopping
1 Cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 Tbs Fresh Dill chopped
1 Tsp Garlic finely minced
1/4 Tsp Salt
Directions:
Take the cucumbers and squeeze out the liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place cucumber in bowl and add in rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Sandwich assembly:
Cover pita bread with a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds
Place one pita bread flat on a piece of aluminum foil
Spread bread with Tzatziki Sauce
Place a layer of shredded lettuce over sauce
Remove desired amount of meat from pot and drain liquid then place over lettuce
Add cucumber, onion, and tomato slices on top then add more tzatziki sauce if desired
Roll sandwich and foil, use the foil to hold the sandwich together. Peel off foil as you eat.
You can also make a plate or bowl instead of a sandwich. Any left over tzatziki can be used a dip, just place in a dish or bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Dip pita chips in the sauce for a great snack or appetizer!
Instant Pot Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
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Instant Pot Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
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Instructions
Beef
Place all the ingredients except the Pita, Lettuce, and Tomato in the Instant Pot
Cover and make sure the valve is in the "Sealing" position
Turn pot on to Manual - high pressure Set timer to 30 minutes
Once timer goes off allow the pot to sit for 15 minutes. Then switch the valve to "venting" and allow the pot to depressurize.
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While you're waiting for the meet to cook make your Tzatziki Sauce and prepare your veggies
Place shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a dish and sprikle with Apple Cider Vinegar then set aside until ready to use
Tzatziki Sauce
Take the cucumbers and squeeze out the liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place cucumber in bowl and add in rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
Cover pita bread with a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds
Place one pita bread flat on a piece of aluminum foil
Spread bread with Tzatziki Sauce
Place a layer of shredded lettuce over sauce
Remove desired amount of meat from pot and drain liquid then place over lettuce
Add cucumber, onion, and tomato slices on top then add more tzatziki sauce if desired
Roll sandwich and foil, use the foil to hold the sandwich together. Peel off foil as you eat.
