Photo credit: Kensie Wallner

A Lebanese Favorite

By Tamara J. Lesnar
Contributing Writer

Back in 1987 I met a man who became my boyfriend. He was the catalyst of my punk rock style. Back then fashion was a fusion of punk and goth. The music was alternative, ranging from Ministry to Alice in Chains and much more with music from Thrill Kill Kult and Butthole Surfers. Techno was alive and gaining popularity.

So when I ventured to New York, I walked into a SoHo store and bought my first leather jacket. It soon was adorned with arm bands and handcuffs. My face was china white and my lips were deep red. My hair was a long mane done up into a mohawk. The hair always changed, shaved on one side long on the other. I had extensions before extensions were big. No look would be complete if I did not wear my black combat boots with my completely black ensemble.

There is a club in Chicago called the Smart Bar that was my usual hangout with my ex. Here you could hobnob with popular and local punk/ alternative musicians and the DJs played awesome dance music. Three years later, I broke up with my ex. He went on to become a bassist for Thrill Kill Kult and I became a zoologist/chef.

So what does this have to do with Lebanese cuisine? Well, lots. Because The Smart Bar is here I met my next boyfriend. One evening on a busy Friday night I could not get the bartenders attention. The gentleman next to me had this deep voice that got the bartender’s attention. I turned to ask him if he could order my drink and the next thing I knew I was dating him for two years.

He was Lebanese. He took me to my very first Middle Eastern Restaurant, Old Jerusalem. My first bite took me on a journey I had never taken before and it was wonderful. The owner is Lebanese and therefore the food had Lebanese finesse.

During these years of dating, I was introduced to a friend of my ex who owned a Middle Eastern Restaurant and I began working for him. I soon became familiar with recipes used in the kitchen. This then led to the Middle Eastern Market and many middle eastern-inspired breakfasts. Well of course we broke up and he owns a recording studio and I… well, you know the rest.

Many years later, I married my husband and we visit Old Jerusalem anytime we can while visiting Chi-town. There is a special dish they make that I can not find here in our Middle Eastern restaurants and it is called Hummus and Meat. Since I am unable to find it here, I went on a mission. I was going to learn how to make this dish and I’m glad to say that I have completed that mission. Now my family can enjoy this dish without having to drive over six hundred miles to do it. Here is that recipe.

Hummus and Meat

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) drained
1/2 cup of water
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/3 cup tahini (mix thoroughly before measuring)
2 large or 3 medium whole cloves of garlic
1 tsp of salt.

1/4 lb of ground lamb
3/4 lb of 90% lean ground beef
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions cut in small dice
3/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of allspice
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
Pita Bread

To make the hummus, place drained garbanzo beans into a small pot and add the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for about 2 minutes or until the cooking liquid reduces to half. Take the beans off the fire.

Into a food processor with a chopping blade, add the garbanzo beans, cooking liquid, garlic and salt. Blend for about two minutes or until the beans are a somewhat smooth paste. Next scrape down the sides with a plastic spatula. Then add the lemon juice and tahini. Blend for about a minute or until there are no lumps of beans in the spread.

Using a spatula, scrape the hummus into a fresh bowl and cover with paper towel. If you skip this step, the hummus will dry out. Let your hummus cool to room temperature before covering it and storing it in the refrigerator. This will prevent condensation that will later drop on your spread.

To make the meat, heat up the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add both the ground lamb and beef to the pan and brown while breaking the meat up into small pieces. When the meat is no longer pink, turn the heat down to medium-low. Now add the onions, salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon. Saute the mixture until the onions are soft and translucent. Remove from heat.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees to warm up the pita bread. Throw it onto an oven rack for a couple of minutes.

To plate up, place 3-4 tablespoons of hummus on a plate and swirl it around to make a shallow wide depression. Place the warm meat on top and serve with pita bread. You can drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the dish if you prefer. You can also make this dish with 100% lamb, 100% beef or any combination of the two.

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