[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]
There's nothing I miss more from my time in Israel than shawarma. I'm not exaggerating—I had shawarma in a pita or laffa almost everyday during my six months there. Like my previous experience making tacos al pastor, I knew making shwarma sans a vertical rotating roaster would not be the same, but nevertheless, I decided to try it out at home after seeing a nice recipe in July's Bon Appétit.
A dry rub of tumeric, salt, coriander, cumin, and peppers (black, white and cayenne) was applied to brined turkey cutlets with some onion slices, then drizzled with olive oil—this goes into the fridge overnight. The turkey was then quickly grilled and cut into small strips in an attempt to imitate the slices you get off a vertical roaster. Obviously it didn't have the same taste and crunch as the real deal, but this shawarma was insanely delicious in its own right.
The inside of the turkey cutlets stayed juicy because of the brine, while the outside had a nice, light crunch from the grill's high heat. The rub was complex, with a heat that packed a nice punch from the three types of pepper. Stuffed into a freshly grilled pita with some of the grilled onions, hummus, and Israeli salad, all the flavors came into a perfect balance, which didn't bring me back to the shawaramas of my memory, but left me one satisfied eater regardless.
Adapted from Bon Appétit.
About the author: Joshua Bousel blogs about grilling on his blog, The Meatwave, and appears weekly here on Serious Eats during grilling season.
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