Harees

Instructions

1. 1 Drain the soaked wheat and rinse well. Place in a large pot with the meat pieces, quartered onion, salt, and six cups of water. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam, then reduce to the lowest simmer and cook covered for three hours, stirring every thirty minutes.
2. 2 After three hours the wheat should be completely broken down and the meat falling off the bone. Remove the meat, shred finely, discard bones, and return the shredded meat to the pot with the dissolved wheat porridge.
3. 3 Using a wooden spoon or immersion blender, beat the mixture vigorously for ten to fifteen minutes until it becomes completely smooth with no visible wheat grains or meat fibres. The consistency should be like thick, smooth porridge.
4. 4 Add two tablespoons of ghee, the cinnamon, and cardamom. Continue stirring over the lowest heat for ten more minutes until the ghee is incorporated and the harees is glossy. Season with additional salt to taste.
5. 5 The finished harees should flow like thick honey when poured, with a velvety smooth texture throughout. It should taste subtly sweet from the wheat with warm spice notes from the cinnamon and cardamom, enriched by the lamb and ghee.
6. 6 Serve the harees in shallow bowls with a well of melted ghee in the centre and a dusting of cinnamon. This is one of Qatar's most important traditional dishes, served during Ramadan and at weddings and celebrations.