Erica's Jerusalem Hummus
This recipe is based off of Michael Solomonov’s recipe from his cookbook Zahav, but I like mine better (yes, I know how that sounds, no I don’t take it back.)
Jerusalem Beef:
1lb ground beef or lamb (at least 85/15 fat, more if you can get it)
1 baseball sized onion, diced
1Tbs Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
2t garlic, crushed
1/2 a Serrano pepper, chop finely -or- 1t red pepper flakes (or more depending on your spice preference)
2-3 Tbs Baharat Spice Blend
1/2 C. olive oil
1/2 C. pine nuts
3Tbs fresh chopped parsley and/or mint
Dice the onion, crush the garlic, finely chop the Serrano pepper, chop the herbs. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, and when the oil is warm and slides easily around the pan, add your onions. Cook until they begin to clarify and soften (generally 3-4 minutes, but up to 8), then add the garlic. When that is fragrant, add the meat to the pan, immediately add salt, hot pepper, and Baharat, and break up the meat into small pieces with a spatula. After all the ingredients are combined in the pan, don’t stir too much, you want the meat to get brown and a bit crispy, and to have lots of oil and rendered fat in the pan, (about 10-12 minutes).
In a separate skillet, over medium low heat, toast the pine nuts, until they’re just turning brown and fragrant. Set aside.
When the meat is cooked though and a bit brown and crispy, turn off the heat, and mix in the toasted pine nuts.
Get a scoop of Hummus and swoosh it onto your plate like you would with mashed potatoes with a dip in the middle for gravy. Spoon the Jerusalem Beef into the dip, making sure to get some of the oil and fat too. Top with fresh herbs, and enjoy with warm pita!