ʿUnnābiyya (Jujube-Style Sweet-Sour Meat)

Ingredients

• lean red meat
• fresh tail fat
• dirham salt
• dirham dried coriander
• lean meat for kubab
• pistachios (fustuq)
• saffron
• dirham cinnamon and ginger
• dirhams good vinegar
• dirhams sugar
• fresh jujubes (ʿunnāb)
• sweet almonds
• rosewater

Instructions

1. Render fresh tail fat, remove cracklings, sweat thin-sliced lean meat with half a dirham each of salt and coriander; cover with warm water.
2. Form jujube-sized spiced kubab, each holding a peeled pistachio; add to the pot.
3. When half-boiled, dip the kubab in saffron dissolved thickly in rosewater, then return them colored.
4. Near doneness dust with a dirham of cinnamon and ginger; add ~10 dirhams good vinegar and 50 dirhams sugar.
5. Add a handful of fresh jujubes and half a handful of peeled sweet almonds; color with saffron, sprinkle rosewater, settle and take up.