SHARJAH, UAE- Greek-Cypriot chef and London-based food blogger Marina Georgallides introduced visitors at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) to an oven-cooked version of biftekia gyros, a Greek beef dish whose preparation and presentation drew comparisons with shawarma.
During the live cooking demonstration, Georgallides showed how seasoned minced beef could be shaped around skewers, slow-cooked in the oven until browned and then shaved into thin slices to be served in pita bread with a garlic and cucumber dip.
“Instead of individually frying the burgers in oil, we’re shaping it on skewers and putting them in the oven. For the biftekia, I recommend using beef mince with 20% fat for the right flavour,” she said.
Georgallides mixed chopped red onions, finely chopped mint, fresh parsley, breadcrumbs, salt and dried oregano into the minced beef before demonstrating how to shape the mixture around skewers, in a technique resembling shawarma preparation.
The skewers were supported by onion halves at the base, covered with foil and baked at 150°C for two hours. Once cooked, the meat was shaved into thin slices and tucked into pita bread.
She also prepared fresh tzatziki to accompany the beef, combining Greek yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil.
Encouraging visitors to experiment with ingredients and seasonings, Georgallides highlighted how simple techniques and fresh ingredients could bring the flavours of Greek cuisine into everyday home cooking.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) was held from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, with the Sultanate of Oman as Guest of Honour. The fair brought together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing more than 1.7 million titles. Its programme featured 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events, with 106 guests from 25 countries.
