Lamb Shawarma

Put the meat in a large mixing bowl. Add the onions, lemon juice, olive oil, cinnamon, allspice and thyme and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and marinated, covered, in the refrigerate for at least two hours and as long as four hours. Stir the mixture now and then.

While the meat marinates, make the tahini sauce and set it aside.

To prepare the sandwiches, put a large saute pan over high heat and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When pan is very hot, add the meat and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is just barely cooked. Remove from the heat.

Warm the pita rounds until they are hot but soft and pliable.

Set the warm pitas on a large work surface and divide the meat among them, placing it down the middle of each pita. Top with equal quantities of tomato, onion, gherkins and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with tahini sauce and roll each sandwich tightly. Wrap the bottom half of each sandwich with a sheet of wax paper and a paper napkin. Serve immediately.

For Tahini Sauce: Put the tahini in a mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the lemon juice and the water, alternating between the two as you add them.

Continue until you have a consistency similar to creamy yogurt. Stir in the garlic and herbs, taste and season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.