Cheater’s Hawawshi Pitas

Whenever I need to explain this popular Egyptian street food to my Atlanta friends, I find myself resorting to this lazy answer: Hawawshi (pronounced ha-wow-shi) is basically Egypt's answer to hamburger-but it is so much more! Here ground beef is transformed to a patty with a mix of exciting spices, onions, garlic, hot peppers, and fresh herbs, typically enveloped in a made-from-scratch dough. In this homemade version, I kept true to the seasoning but ditched the fresh dough for pita pockets; no one is ever mad about a shortcut.

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Step 1

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 2

2. Make the seasoning: In a small bowl, mix the allspice, black pepper, coriander, paprika, cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon.

Step 3

3. Make the meat filling: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the multipurpose blade, combine the onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño, and cilantro. Pulse a few times until all the ingredients are finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a sieve and push down on the mixture with the back of a spoon to drain excess liquid.

Step 4

4. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the ground beef and tomato paste. Mix to combine. Add the hawawshi seasoning and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix again until well combined and the spices are incorporated into the meat.

Step 5

5. Lightly brush a 13 × 18 × 1-inch sheet pan with olive oil.

Step 6

6. Make the pita pockets: Stuff each pita pocket with ⅓ cup of the meat mixture. Using the back of a spoon, spread the meat mixture on the insides of the pita pockets. Arrange the pitas on the sheet pan. Brush the tops of the pita pockets very lightly with olive oil, then bake for 15 minutes. Carefully turn the pitas over and bake on the other side until the meat is fully cooked and the pitas are a little crispy on both sides (the meat will release some juices into the pan, so it is important to turn the pita over so it will crisp on both sides), another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately!