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Pan-Fried Beef-Filled Pita

Pan-Fried Beef-Filled Pita

  • Makes
    4-6 servings
  • Cook Time
    40 minutes

Pita bread stuffed with spiced ground beef or lamb and grilled, pan-fried, griddled or baked until the meat is juicy and the bread is toasty-crisp is a Levantine favorite called arayes. For our version, we mash some torn-up pita with juices from the grated onion and tomato; the resulting paste, called panade, is mixed into the meat, as if making meatballs, to ensure the filling cooks up tender. Thick, fluffy pita bread works best to make these sandwiches—they have more structure than thin pita, which quickly turn soggy after cooking. Look for pita rounds that are about ½ inch thick and be sure they’re fresh and supple, not dry and brittle. We like the sandwiches served with a simple yogurt sauce to brighten up the flavors.

Tip

Don’t cook the stuffed pita halves over too high a heat or the bread will scorch before the filling is cooked through.

Ingredients
  • 1

    small yellow onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater

  • 1

    ripe but firm medium tomato, halved, pulp grated on the large holes of a box grater, skin discarded

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    cup plain whole-milk yogurt

  • 1½

    teaspoons cumin, divided

  • 2

    tablespoons lemon juice

  • 3

    7-inch pita breads (see headnote), cut into half rounds, plus ½ pita bread, torn into ¼- to ½-inch pieces

  • 1

    pound 90 percent lean ground beef

  • ⅓

    cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

  • 1½

    teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 1 teaspoon sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1

    teaspoon ground allspice

  • 4

    teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Step 1

In a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl, stir together the onion, tomato and ¼ teaspoon salt. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, ½ teaspoon of cumin, the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside.

Step 2

In another medium bowl, combine the torn pita bread and ¼ cup drained liquid from the onion-tomato mixture, then knead by hand until smooth and paste-like.

Add the beef, parsley, Aleppo pepper, allspice, the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper and the onion-tomato mixture (discard any remaining liquid in the bowl).

Mix well, then divide the mixture into 6 portions (each about ⅓ cup) and stuff a portion into each pita half, flattening it into an evenly thick layer.

Step 3

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat 2 teaspoons of oil until shimmering. Add 3 of the filled pita halves and cook until well browned on the bottoms, 3 to 4 minutes.

Using a wide metal spatula, flip the halves and cook until the second sides are well browned and the center of the meat filling reaches 160°F, another 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and wipe out the skillet. Cook the remaining pita halves in the same way using the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Transfer the pitas to a large plate and serve with the yogurt sauce.