Name: Wagyu kafta nayeh, radish and fried pita bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 3 tsp lemon juice, or to taste; 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; Large pinch each of ground cinnamon, ground allspice and cayenne pepper; 500 gm wagyu rump, trimmed (remove and discard sinew), cut into 1cm dice; 1 vine-ripened tomato, diced; 3 small spring onions, thinly sliced; 1½ tbsp each mint, flat-leaf parsley and basil leaves, finely chopped; ½ garlic clove, crushed; 15 mixed radishes, halved, to serve; Fried pita; Canola oil, for deep-frying; 2 Lebanese pita bread, top and bottom layers separated

Wagyu kafta nayeh, radish and fried pita bread

Lebanon's answer to steak tartare uses parsley, basil, spring onions and a trio of spices as a counterpoint to rich wagyu.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

20M

Cook

Total

25M

“This is one of a couple of Lebanese raw meat dishes, the other being the more common kibbeh nayeh, which contains burghul,” says Joseph Abboud. “Don’t be shy with the olive oil here.”

Ingredients

3 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

Large pinch each of ground cinnamon, ground allspice and cayenne pepper

500 gm wagyu rump, trimmed (remove and discard sinew), cut into 1cm dice

1 vine-ripened tomato, diced

3 small spring onions, thinly sliced

1½ tbsp each mint, flat-leaf parsley and basil leaves, finely chopped

½ garlic clove, crushed

15 mixed radishes, halved, to serve

Fried pita

Canola oil, for deep-frying

2 Lebanese pita bread, top and bottom layers separated

Method

1.For fried pita, heat canola oil in a large saucepan to 170°C. Roughly cut pita into 5cm strips and fry, in batches, until golden brown (20-30 seconds). Drain on paper towels and season with sea salt.

2.Whisk lemon juice and olive oil with spices. Add beef, tomato, onion, herbs and garlic and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and mix well. Spoon onto plates, shaping into a round, drizzle with olive oil and serve with fried pita bread and radishes.

Drink suggestion: An anise-flavoured spirit such as arak or raki. Drink suggestion by Ari Vlassopoulos.
Notes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

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Styling by Lisa Featherby