Lebanese Spiced Beef with Egg

This is a very traditional Middle Eastern dish with as many variations as you can imagine. Each country uses its own spice mix to give it a unique identity. This is the Lebanese-Jamaican version of the dish that my mother used to make for breakfast.

For the Lebanese spice mix, Baharat, there is no fixed recipe. The constant ingredients are Cinnamon and Allspice. Other spices vary as each family makes it according to their taste. One of my cousins, Jamie,  makes the best Baharat I've ever used! It is also readily available in most Lebanese stores already mixed. Clearly, making your own mixture to suit your taste is best. The dish goes well with sliced cucumber, pickles, Pita or Naan bread.
Ingredients

6 ozs of ground beef

3 large cloves garlic

1 shallot

1/2 small Habanero Chili pepper

1 small Plum Tomato, finely diced

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 tsps Baharat or Lebanese Spice Mix (Garam Masala may be substituted but then one ends up with the Indian version of this dish. This dish, and it's many spice variations is common throughout the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent)

2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 eggs
Directions

1. Finely chop the shallot, garlic and Habanero pepper

2. Heat oil in a frying pan and brown meat until no pink remains and the beef is well browned and dry. Add the finely chopped shallot, garlic, habanero pepper, salt, Baharat or Garam Masala. Saute until it smells fragrant then add the chopped tomato.

3. Saute this mixture for a minute or two then break 1-2 eggs over the mixture and continue cooking as if you were cooking scrambled eggs. Plate when egg is cooked. Eat with Pita or Naan bread.