Marinated Beef Shawarma bowls with the most fragrant Persian rice Pilaf. I loaded this shawarma bowl up with fresh cucumbers, sliced onions, kalamata olives, and a dollop of baba ganoush. It’s seriously so delicious!
sliced onionscucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives, pine nuts, baba ganoush, hummus, roasted root vegetables, sumac
Instructions
BEEF SHAWARMA: In a large bowl, combine the shawarma seasoning, olive oil, and vinegar. If your seasoning is salt free, add in ½ teaspoon of salt. Check for seasonings, and adjust as desired. Add the skirt steak and allow it to marinade for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator – ideally for an hour and up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Allow the pan to get super hot before adding the meat. Cook the meat for 3-8 minutes per side depending on how you prefer your steak. As a guideline, 5 minutes/side will yield about a medium-rare skirt steak. Remove to a plate, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain for maximum tenderness.
VERMICELLI RICE PILAF: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water fro 2 minutes, using your fingers to rub the rice, set aside. Heat the ghee in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Allow the ghee to turn to liquid completely, then add the vermicelli pasta and brown. It will take about 5-6 minutes for the pasta to brown, keep a close eye on it and stir it often. When the vermicelli is light brown in color, add the rinsed rice and allow to toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently so the vermicelli doesn’t burn. Add the water and allow to come to a boil. Stir just once to break up any lumps. Cover, reduce heat to low and let cook for 12-15 minutes or until the water dries up and the rice cooks through. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
ASSEMBLY: To assemble your bowl, place the desired amount of rice in your vessel. Top with sliced shawarma meat and desired toppings. Sprinkle with sumac if desired.
Notes
If you don’t want to use ghee, you can replace it with 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of a cooking oil.