Meat Tray Bake
This is Syrian lahmeh bi-siniyeh, prepared in two ways. The base is a mixture of 3 and a half kilos of finely ground lamb, 500 grams of finely ground lamb tail fat, finely chopped onion, 5 teaspoons of salt, and 2 and a half teaspoons of black pepper. The mixture is kneaded, spread in an oven tray, and shaped with the fingers, then broiled in an oven with top and bottom heat at 250°C. After the initial broiling, it is finished either in the first style with lemon juice, tahini, and pomegranate molasses, or in the second style with tomatoes and hot green peppers, then the oven tray is returned to brown and served hot.
A baked meat dish prepared in a tray bake style, shown in two versions.
Like a baked meat casserole or sheet-pan meal.
Ingredients
- 3 and a half kilos finely ground lamb
- 500 grams finely ground lamb tail fat
- onion finely chopped onion
- 5 teaspoons salt
- 2 and a half teaspoons black pepper
- juice of 2 lemons lemon juice
- for the top of the tray tahini
- for the top of the tray pomegranate molasses
- for the top of the tray tomatoes
- for the top of the tray hot green peppers
- some some makdous
- some some za’atar
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion in a food processor or with a suitable tool.
- Place the finely ground meat and finely ground lamb tail fat in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the finely chopped onion to the bowl of meat.
- Add the salt to the bowl of meat and onion.
- Add the black pepper to the bowl of meat and onion.
- Knead the meat ingredients well by hand in the mixing bowl until combined.
- Spread the meat mixture in oven trays.
- Shape the surface of the meat with your fingers in the oven trays, making indentations across the top.
- Place the oven trays in an oven with top and bottom heat.
- Broil the meat trays first in the oven over high heat.
- For the first method, squeeze the lemon into a bowl or directly over the top of the tray after the initial broiling.
- For the first method, add the tahini to the top of the tray in the oven tray after the initial broiling.
- For the first method, add the pomegranate molasses to the top of the tray in the oven tray after the initial broiling.
- For the first method, return the oven tray to the oven after adding the topping mixture, until lightly browned without excessive boiling.
- For the second method, arrange the tomatoes over the top of the tray in the oven tray after the initial broiling.
- For the second method, arrange the hot green peppers over the top of the tray in the oven tray after the initial broiling.
- For the second method, return the oven tray to the oven until the top is suitably browned.