Kafta bil Sanieh — Ground Beef Tray Bake with Potatoes & Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 3 Potatoes, sliced in ¼-inch rounds
• 3 Tomatoes, sliced in rounds
• 1 onion, grated and squeezed dry
• Big handful parsley, minced
• 1½ tsp seven-spice or allspice
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup hot water
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Toss the Potatoes rounds with 2 tbsp of the oil and salt, spread on a baking tray, and roast 15 minutes to give them a head start — added raw, they stay hard while everything else overcooks.
2. Knead the Ground Beef with the grated onion, parsley, seven-spice, salt, and pepper until tacky, then press it into a flat ¾-inch layer over the parboiled Potatoes.
3. Lay the Tomatoes rounds over the top in overlapping rows and season them.
4. Whisk the tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, remaining oil, and hot water into a thin sauce and pour it around the edges of the tray.
5. Bake 30 minutes until the meat reaches 160°F (71°C), the top has browned, and the sauce has reduced to a syrup at the bottom. Rest 10 minutes and serve with rice or bread.