Arayess (عرايس) — Lebanese Grilled Stuffed Pita with Spiced Meat

• 4pita bread (medium, 18–20 cm) (use pocket-style pita, not thick naan)
• 400 gground lamb (20% fat) (or half lamb/half beef for a lighter flavor)
• 120 gyellow onion, grated (squeeze lightly to remove excess liquid)
• 10 ggarlic, finely grated
• 20 gflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 120 gtomato, deseeded and finely diced (optional but traditional in many homes)
• 2 tspground allspice
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspAleppo pepper (use 0.5 tsp chili flakes if unavailable)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tbspolive oil (for brushing the outside of the pita)
• 4 wedgelemon wedges

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the meat filling by combining the ground lamb, grated onion, garlic, parsley, and diced tomato in a bowl. Add allspice, cumin, cinnamon, Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper, then mix for 60–90 seconds until the mixture looks cohesive and slightly tacky.

2. 2

   Split each pita in half horizontally to create 8 half-moons, keeping the pocket intact as much as possible. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions (about 85 g each) so every piece cooks evenly and finishes at the same time.

3. 3

   Open one pita half gently and spread one portion of meat inside in a thin, even layer, pressing it to the edges without tearing the bread. Keep the layer about 5–7 mm thick so the meat cooks through before the pita over-browns.

4. 4

   Brush the outside of each stuffed pita lightly with olive oil, using about 0.75 tsp per piece for even browning. Let the assembled arayess rest for 5 minutes while you heat the grill or pan, which helps the meat adhere to the bread.

5. 5

   Preheat a grill, grill pan, or heavy skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes until thoroughly hot. Cook the arayess meat-side down first for 4 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula so the meat makes full contact and starts to render.

6. 6

   Flip and cook bread-side down for 3 minutes, then flip again and continue cooking 2–4 minutes, turning as needed, until deeply golden and crisp. The meat should be fully cooked with no pink remaining, ideally reaching 71°C/160°F in the center.

7. 7

   Transfer to a board and rest for 2 minutes so the juices redistribute and the pita stays crisp. Cut each piece into 2–3 sections, squeeze with lemon, and serve immediately while hot and crunchy.