Em Sherif

Makanek are small Lebanese spiced sausages, stuffed into sheep casings and twisted into finger-length links of about 5 to 7 centimetres each. The meat is ground beef and lamb combined, with lamb tail fat or beef suet providing the 20 to 30 percent fat content that the recipe requires. The spice blend runs warm rather than hot: coriander, paprika, black and white pepper, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, sharpened with a splash of red vinegar. Pine nuts go in whole, not ground, so each sausage carries occasional pockets of sweetness. Makanek arrive at the table pan-fried, still sizzling, glazed with pomegranate molasses in a small copper or earthenware bowl. They are mezze food: eaten with Lebanese flatbread, alongside labneh, olives, and tomatoes.