Hushwee is a staple dish in Lebanese households. It is considered a peasant food and has been called “poor man’s food.” It’s one of those dishes that has quite a few variations and every household has their special version of hush wee. This is a very simple version. Hushwee is also very often prepared with rice. The ground meat used varies by recipe and you can use lamb, pork, chicken or beef.
We like using ground pork because it has a stronger flavor than ground beef, yet is less expensive than using ground lamb. And, we also save a little by using toasted almonds rather than pine nuts.
Enjoy!
Lebanese Hushwee (Spiced Meat)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. ghee
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 20 ounces ground pork
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds
- fresh minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt ghee over medium high heat and add onion. Saute until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the pork and all of the spices to the pan. Cook 8-10 minutes or until meat is browned, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
- Stir in toasted pine nuts or almonds before serving and garnish with fresh minced parsley.
Nutrition
Calories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 26gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 663mgPotassium: 532mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg
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About the Author: Christine Dutton
Christine is the Wellness Manager with Mediterranean Living. She is passionate about wellness, fitness and food. Basically, she runs to eat! You can find her in the kitchen, experimenting with recipes or in the great outdoors on a long training run. She has a long-time love for Asian and Mediterranean cuisine and she particularly loves cooking with vegetables. She considers making
vegetable carpacios to be a hobby. You can count on her to do too early stalking of farm fields in Hadley for local asparagus and waiting with baited breath for the Mountain View CSA and Golonka Farm Stand to open for the summer season. She loves supporting the local food economy through her service with the River Valley Market board of directors in Northampton, MA.
I tried this at a friend’s house and think it would be good to make with pork. Will try it for my meat-loving son when he comes home for Thanksgiving!
I’ve made this twice; once with 90% grass-fed beef and once with pork. I definitely prefer the pork (much, much lighter). This recipe is superb and I will likely make it next week!