Fire-Roasted Wheat with Lamb (or Beef)

Name: Fire-Roasted Wheat with Lamb (or Beef) (Freekeh ma Lahm (free-keh ma lah-him))
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; 12 cups boiling water; 1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 cups frozen pearl onions; 4½ cups hot reserved broth; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves; 2 cups diced yellow onion (½ inch); Freekeh, found at specialty markets or online.; 2 pounds lean lamb, from the leg, cut into 1½ × 1½-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; or: 2 pounds beef (top round/London broil); 4 teaspoons salt

Freekeh ma Lahm (free-keh ma lah-him)

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Classic Lebanese Cuisine

By Kamal Al-Faqih

Published 2009

About

Freekeh is green fire-roasted coarse-grained wheat. It is harvested while young so it retains more protein and vitamins than most other grains. Fire-roasting gives it a rich, smoky flavor. It is delicious with lamb, beef, chicken, or vegetarian style, and it is a great alternative to rice, pasta, or potatoes.

Ingredients

Specialty Ingredients

Freekeh, found at specialty markets or online.

Asia
Lebanon
Main course
Mediterranean
Spicy

Method

Prepare Ahead

You can prepare this dish up to 2 days in advance. The rich broth continues to tenderize the meat while enhancing the flavor.