When you’re on a budget, you learn how to make variety out of one menu item. You can get creative with chicken, beef, potatoes, rice. These frequent players can get very boring if you see them all the time in the same form, but with some creativity you can make even the humble hamburger into a special meal.
Today I made a spicy meat that can be used in a variety of ways. I made hawawshi for lunch, which is when I put the meat into pita bread half-rounds and bake them in the oven. For dinner, spicy burgers. I have also used the same meat mixture for meatballs, kebabs, and, with the addition of some breadcrumbs and an egg, meatloaf.
You start with two pounds of 80/20 ground beef. If you buy your meat from the halaal butcher, I’ve noticed they tend to try to give you meat without a lot of fat. Make sure you get meat that is not too lean, because the fat adds to the flavor. If you are health-conscious, okay, go with the lower fat meat, but it won’t be as rich :).
Break up the meat into a large bowl. Add one medium to largish onion that has been chopped up very finely. You can do this by hand with a good sharp knife, but I use a small food processor with a chopping blade so the onion will be almost liquified and will mix in well. Chop up about four cloves of garlic at the same time, more if you wish. Dump this on top of the meat.
Now for the spices. You can use a box mix, easy to find at Indo-Pak or Middle Eastern stores, but I just use what I have in the cupboard. For the two pounds of meat, I use:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp turmeric
You can other spices, like cinnamon and cardamom, different types of chili powder, oregano, basil. Go with what you like. Finish with a couple of dashes of Maggi Kitchen Bouquet and two tablespoons of soy sauce, then mix well with your hands until all of the spices are blended in.
I always do a test batch by heating a skillet and then cooking a small piece of meat til done to make sure the spice balance is where I like it. If you are not happy with the result, you can add a bit more of whatever you feel is lacking. That gives you the chance to test again, which is very tasty :).
After you get the mix where you like it, cover and set it aside in the refrigerator to allow the spices and flavors to marry. I set mine aside for a couple of hours if I can. When you are ready, heat up a skillet, make some patties, and then brown on both sides, then reduce heat to cook through. For the burgers I made today, I sprinkled the tops with grated Asiago cheese and topped with pickled jalapeno peppers. My husband made short work of the burgers and ended up sharing a couple with the kids, which is why I always make extra.
I have more ground beef in the freezer, so next time I make this meat inshaAllah I’ll make either meatballs in tomato sauce or perhaps meatloaf. A meatloaf you would be happy to serve to guests. Bil hana wa shifaa!
Radical Islamic Cuisine 