Awarma – Lebanese lamb confit

Awarma is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. Put two or three spoonfuls of the Lebanese lamb confit in a hot pan, then a few eggs on top and straight onto the plate with flatbread, tomatoes and pickles. Super simple, super tasty. And of course my mom created her very own recipe.

What is Awarma?

Awarma or qawarma is a Lebanese lamb confit. Lamb is cooked slowly in lamb fat and then preserved. This cooking method not only makes the meat particularly tender and aromatic, it also keeps for a long time if it is stored in a cool, dark place.

The recipe is very old and probably comes from villagers in the mountains, as there were no fridges or even supermarkets back then. Cooking and preserving was a popular way of preserving food… and also essential for survival.

It’s a bit like the German lard that some older people like to spread on their bread … lots of fat and lots of crunch.

The ingredients for the family recipe

As already mentioned, my mom has created her own awarma recipe. Instead of using pieces of lamb, she simply uses minced lamb. This becomes particularly crispy when left out and is therefore also an excellent combination with egg.

You can also try both variants. You can get the lamb and lamb fat from the butcher. You can also have it minced there or you can make it yourself at home. But don’t let them sell you mutton, otherwise the taste will be too intense.

You will need a few jars of lamb confit:

• Lamb fat
• Minced lamb
• Salt
• Cinnamon

This recipe uses very few spices. However, you can also spice it up and add cumin, cardamom or a little baharat, for example.

The preparation

When preparing the awarma, we also tried a version with minced beef and beef fat. This is a great alternative if you find lamb too intense.

Good meat guarantees you a tasty end result. So don’t save money when buying meat, but invest in quality. You’ll really enjoy it for a long time.

Once you have the four ingredients together, you’re ready to go. The preparation is really simple.

Here are the quick instructions for making awarma yourself . You can find the exact steps in the recipe card below:

1. Cut the fat into small cubes.

2. Drain the fat in a pan with the lid on and stir occasionally. When crackling pieces of fat float to the surface, it is ready.
3. Strain the melted fat through a fine sieve and remove the small pieces.

4. Return the rendered fat to the pan, add the mince and cook until all the water has evaporated.

5. Fill the awarma into sterile jars while still hot and leave to cool.

6. If you store it in the fridge, it will keep for up to 1 year.

Make sure that you don’t leave the fat out too hot, as there may be meat residue in between that will burn. The fat then takes on the burnt flavors and no longer tastes good.

And what do you do with it now?

What a question – eat it, of course! You can spread it on a slice of bread while it’s still cold. Or you can leave it out and add a few eggs to the pan. But the lamb confit also works well as a topping for hummus or batata harra.

I hope you now feel like making yourself a few delicious jars of lamb confit. Incidentally, this is also a great idea for giving as a gift or as a souvenir if you are invited somewhere.

Try out the recipe and let me know in the comments if you liked it. And if you have a family recipe that you would like to share, please let me know.

I hope you enjoy cooking it and, of course, bon appétit.

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Recipe for Awarma – Lebanese lamb confit