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Me'orav Yerushalmi
Me'orav Yerushalmi (מעורב ירושלמי): Jerusalem mixed grill of chicken hearts, livers and thigh in pita
The mixed grill of Jerusalem was born in the steakiyot of the Mahane Yehuda market, where cooks threw cheap chicken hearts, livers and spleen onto a flat griddle with onion and a spice mix of cumin, turmeric and coriander, and it is still the late-night meal of the city's Agripas Street. This home version uses chicken hearts, livers and thigh, fried hard and fast until browned and juicy, then stuffed into pita with tahini and pickles. The flavour is deep, slightly bitter from the liver and warm with spice. Overcrowding the pan is the usual mistake: the meat stews instead of searing, so cook in two batches. Chef's tip: slice the hearts in half lengthways and rinse out any blood so they cook evenly and fast.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz chicken heartstrimmed and halved
- 9 oz chicken liverstrimmed, cut into pieces
- 14 oz boneless chicken thighscut into 2 cm strips
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 4 pita breadswarmed
- ½ cup tahini sauce
- pickled cucumbers (optional)sliced
- ⅓ oz parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Pat all the meat dry and keep the livers separate.
Step 2: Heat half of 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan or griddle over a high heat. Fry 2 onions until soft and charred at the edges, about 6 minutes, and push to one side.
6 minStep 3: Add 9 oz chicken hearts and 14 oz boneless chicken thighs with half the spice mix and the rest of 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Fry, tossing, for 7–8 minutes, until well browned and the thigh is cooked through to 165°F with no pink.
8 minStep 4: Add 9 oz chicken livers and the rest of the spices and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until browned outside and cooked right through with no pink inside. Toss everything with the onions.
5 minStep 5: Split 4 pita breads and fill with the meat, then drizzle with ½ cup tahini sauce and add pickled cucumbers and ⅓ oz parsley. Eat at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does me'orav Yerushalmi take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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