Makes 10 half-pitas
1/2 medium (8-ounce) yellow onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup (about 3/4 ounces) loosely packed parsley leaves
1 pound ground lamb or beef, lean, or a 1/2 pound each of combined OR Impossible Meat
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 to 2 teaspoons red chile paste, such as sambal oelek
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice or seven-spice
1 1/2 teaspoons, plus 5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
5 (6-inch) pita bread rounds, halved crosswise - open them up but be careful not to rip them a lot -take your time.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Greek-style yogurt, for serving (optional)
Toum, for serving (optional - see recipe below)
Preheat oven to 400° F. Place a broiler-safe wire rack in a baking sheet and set aside. Place onion, garlic, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped into a rough puree, about 6 to 8 pulses, brushing down sides of bowl as needed; you should have about 2/3 cup onion mixture. Place in a medium mesh sieve set over a medium bowl or use cheeseclothe; press on mixture to drain excess liquid; discard liquid. This step is very important to ensure the pitas can crisp up and aren't soggy. Combine onion mixture and ground lamb and beef in a large bowl and mix until evenly combined. Add tomato paste, smoked paprika, red chile paste, pepper, and allspice or seven spice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and mix to combine.
Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each pita; spread and use your hand to flatten them from the outside so filling is evenly distributed and reaches edges of pita. Brush some of the olive oil onto each side of pita and sprinkle evenly with remaining 5/8 teaspoon salt. The salt adds a very nice flavour, don't forget to add it.
Place filled pita halves onto prepared baking sheet and. bake on center rack until filling is cooked through and pita is crisp on each side, about 20 minutes, flipping pitas halfway through cooking. If desired, turn oven to broil and cook on each side until desired crispiness, about 1 minute per side. Serve with yogurt or toum.
Toum - best if made the day before
1/2 cup garlic cloves peeled
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup neutral oil such as safflower, canola
1/4 cup lemon juice
Slice the garlic cloves in half lengthwise and remove any green sprouts.
Transfer the sliced garlic cloves into a food processor and add the kosher salt to the garlic cloves. Process for a minute until the garlic becomes finely minced. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor afterwards.
While the food processor is running, slowly pour one to two tablespoons of oil, then stop and scrape down the bowl. Continue adding another tablespoon or two until the garlic starts looking creamy. Then add the lemon juice. Pulse again.
Transfer the sauce into a glass container and cover with a paper towel in the fridge overnight. Makes about 2 cups.
The next day, replace the paper towel with an airtight lid and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.