Beef and Lamb Shawarma

Using your chef’s knife, finely mince the grated onion. Press the grated onion against a sieve or in a cheesecloth to remove moisture.

Combine garlic, salt, spices, onion, and meats. Chop it all together with your chef’s knife on a large board - you’re looking for a fine paste - then knead with your hands until it’s good and sticky. If you’d rather not enjoy that unique experience, process the lot in your food processor for about a minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Find something heavy and oven-proof (like a cast-iron pan) you can use to weigh down your second loaf pan.

Boil a tea kettle of water. Place the meat mixture into one loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Put the loaf pan inside a roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan about up the the level of the meat in the loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and nest the second, reserved loaf pan on the surface of the meat. Add your heavy object and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on the flatbread of your choice with hot sauce, sliced onion, tahini, yogurt, lettuce, tomato, or whatever suits your taste.