Ruṭayba (Fresh-Date Sweet Meat)

Ingredients

• lean red meat
• fresh tail fat
• dirham salt
• dirham dried coriander
• almonds and pistachios
• saffron
• dirhams spice mix
• lean meat for kubab
• fresh dates (ruṭab ṭabarzadh)
• dirhams sugar
• dāniq camphor (kāfūr)
• rosewater

Instructions

1. Render fresh tail fat, sweat small thin elongated lean meat with half a dirham each of salt and coriander until colored; cover with warm water, boil and skim.
2. Add a handful of coarse-pounded peeled almonds and pistachios; color with saffron; add ~2.5 dirhams cumin, coriander, cinnamon and mastic.
3. Form elongated kubab of pounded lean meat, each holding a peeled sweet almond; add.
4. Pit fresh ṭabarzadh dates and fill each with a peeled sweet almond.
5. When cooked down to its fat, arrange the dates on top, dust with ~10 dirhams sugar perfumed with a dāniq of camphor, sprinkle rosewater, settle and take up.