Halifax Donair
The Nova Scotia street food classic: spiced beef, sweet garlicky condensed-milk sauce, tomato and onion in a warm pita.
Ingredients
- 500 g lean ground beef
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp flour
- 300 mL sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder (for sauce)
- 4 large pitas
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Wire rack
- Loaf shape or pan
Instructions
Tip: tap Start Cooking for hands-free step mode with built-in timers.
- 1
Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Mix beef with spices and flour, kneading 3–4 minutes until sticky.
4 min timer - 2
Press firmly into a loaf shape on a rack over a baking tray. Bake 60 minutes until 71°C (160°F) internal.
60 min timer - 3
Rest 15 minutes, then slice as thinly as possible.
15 min timer - 4
Whisk condensed milk, vinegar and garlic powder — the sauce will thicken as vinegar reacts.
- 5
Warm pitas, pile with sliced meat, tomatoes and onion, and drizzle generously with donair sauce.
Notes
- Cook beef to a safe 71°C (160°F) — check with a thermometer.
Substitutions
- sweetened condensed milk: no true substitute — the sauce depends on it
Storage
Sliced meat keeps 3 days refrigerated. Sauce keeps 5 days.
Freezer
Freeze meat block up to 2 months.
Nutrition not calculated. Cook temperatures follow Health Canada guidance where cited.
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