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1
Marinate the beef
5 mins + 2 hours marinating
Fridge, about 4°C (39°F)
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and all the spices with 5 g of salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add the 800 g of beef strips and turn them until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight — the lemon and spices season the beef right through while the oil keeps the thin strips from drying out on the grill. This marinating time is passive and is not counted in the 50-minute active time.
Slice the sirloin thin and across the grain — thick or with-the-grain strips turn chewy on a hot grill.
Done when: Beef fully coated in a golden, speckled marinade.
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2
Make the toum
10 mins
Room temperature, about 20–22°C (68–72°F)
Put 12 g garlic, 15 ml lemon juice and 1 g salt in a small food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides down once. With the motor running, drizzle in 60 ml sunflower oil in the thinnest thread you can manage, a little at a time, until the sauce turns thick, white and fluffy like mayonnaise. Taste and add a pinch more salt or lemon if needed. Set aside — this is the sauce that makes the wrap Lebanese.
If the toum splits, blend in 1 tablespoon of ice water and it will usually come back together.
Done when: Thick, white, fluffy sauce that holds its shape on a spoon.
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3
Grill the beef
10 mins
High heat, about 230°C (450°F) on the grill or pan
Heat a grill pan, barbecue or heavy frying pan over high heat until it is very hot. Lift the beef out of the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and lay the strips in a single layer — work in two batches so the pan stays hot. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side without moving the pieces, until charred at the edges and cooked to at least 63°C (145°F) in the thickest part.
Do not crowd the pan: crowded beef steams instead of charring, and the char is half the flavour.
Done when: Charred edges, centre at least 63°C (145°F).
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4
Rest the beef
5 mins
Room temperature, about 20–22°C (68–72°F)
Lift the beef onto a plate and rest it for 3 minutes so the juices settle, then slice any wider strips thinly across the grain. Resting is what keeps thin grilled beef juicy instead of dry.
Do not skip the rest — cutting straight off the grill lets the juices run out onto the plate.
Done when: Beef rested, juices settled, strips tender when pulled apart.
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5
Warm the pita
5 mins
Medium heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Warm each of the 4 pita breads for about 30 seconds per side in a dry pan or directly over a low gas flame, until soft and pliable with a few toasted spots. Stack them under a clean tea towel so they stay warm and flexible while you build the wraps.
Warm pita rolls without cracking; cold pita tears at the seam.
Done when: Soft, warm, pliable flatbread with light toasted spots.
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6
Build and roll the wraps
5 mins
Room temperature, about 20–22°C (68–72°F)
Lay a warm pita flat and spread a generous spoonful of toum down the centre. Add a quarter of the grilled beef (about 150 g cooked), then a quarter each of the pickles, pickled turnips, tomato, onion and parsley. Fold the bottom edge up, fold in the sides and roll tightly from one end. Press the seam down on the hot dry pan for 30 seconds to seal it, then cut each wrap in half on the diagonal and serve at once.
Roll tightly and seal the seam on the hot pan — a loose wrap falls apart in the hand.
Done when: Tight, sealed wraps that hold their shape when cut in half.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the wraps cut in half, cut side up so the filling shows, with extra toum and pickles on the side and fries if you like them the Beirut way.
Lebanon
25m
