Turkish Meat: The Most Authentic Traditional Recipe

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Let's plunge into Central Asian cuisine and cook something unusual. For example, Turkish meat. Of course, this requires an open fire, but you can do without it at home. Turkish meat recipes are presented in this article.

On the Internet you will find many options for its preparation. Some are so bold as to suggest using pork, although it is well known that the Turks do not recognize the use of this meat.

In this article you will find a proven Turkish meat recipe with a photo and step-by-step preparation of this spicy dish. Let's make a reservation right away that it will not be a kebab, but meat with spices and vegetables - such as it is cooked in Kars, Ani, Trabzon, in other words, in the Asian part of Turkey, where traditions are sacredly kept and honored.

Which meat to choose for the dish?

Of course, lamb or goat meat will come first. And it is better if the meat is on the bone. The meaty rib part with a little fat is best. Lamb fat tends to cool quickly, and its excess in this dish is completely unnecessary. If you see that there is too much fat, it is better to cut it from pieces. Placeput it in the fridge and, when the time comes, fry potatoes on it.

Those who do not particularly like this kind of meat, which has a specific taste and aroma, let them use beef or veal. Choose beef pulp with fatty layers. For example, brisket.

Poultry also works. When choosing it, stop at chicken thighs.

Meat preparation

How to cook Turkish meat? There are several distinguishing features. Turkish cuisine involves the obligatory pickling of meat. Beef is best kept in kefir or sour milk. Use only table vinegar or lemon juice to marinate lamb.

In both cases, cut the meat into long and thin slices. If you have ribs, cut them crosswise into pieces 4-5 cm long. Then dip in the marinade for 10-12 hours. No s alt required.

When the pieces of meat are aged, neither wash them from the marinade nor drain the marinade, the meat is stewed right in it.

What to cook in?

This dish requires a special frying pan, in Turkey it is called "saj" and resembles a cast iron saucepan.

If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use a regular one with a thick bottom and high sides. You can even use a low steel pan.

Ingredients

For a classic Turkish meat recipe you will need:

• 500-600g prepared lamb or beef;
• 200-300gonion;
• half head of garlic;
• 1 hot pepper;
• vegetable oil;
• s alt and pepper.

Cooking a meal in a pan

Heat a layer of oil about a finger thick until bubbles form and quickly fill it with marinated and chopped meat. Stir with hot oil, add finely chopped hot pepper and cover. Reduce heat immediately and simmer for about 30 minutes. Then remove the lid so that the liquid evaporates, and s alt and pepper the meat. Stir occasionally while doing this.

When no moisture remains in the pan, add coarsely chopped onion. Stirring constantly, fry the contents and make sure that the corners of the onion straw do not turn black. When cooked perfectly, the onion should caramelize and become translucent.

It will not be a big departure from tradition if you start stewing with onions and vegetables:

• peeled fresh tomatoes;
• green bell pepper;
• eggplant or young zucchini.

Cut all these vegetables into small cubes before stewing and add a little s alt to them. When their flesh becomes softer under the influence of s alt and releases juice, throw it into the pan.

What to serve with Turkish meat to the table

Of course, the championship in side dishes for meat dishes belongs to potatoes: boiled, baked, mashed and fried.

But our article suggests paying attention to other options for garnishing meatin Turkish:

• boiled cobs of young corn,
• boiled chickpeas,
• stewed white beans.

By the way, this framing of the dish is a traditional companion of all meat dishes both in Turkish restaurants and in street canteens.

You can't consider our topic finished without mentioning that you can cook meat in Turkish and in the oven. In terms of taste, it is in no way inferior to other options. Moving on to the next recipe.

Turkish meat in the oven

Let's not dwell on the fact that in medieval Turkey the oven was a red-hot stone. Preheat the oven to 220-240 degrees, this will be enough.

This recipe should be taken seriously: one wrong step and you risk getting the usual baked meat. So, don't miss the details.

Oddly enough, we send the onion to the oven first. We cut it into large rings, dip in oil and bake until crusty. Then remove from the pan.

On the same baking sheet on which the onion slices were baked, spread the meat in the marinade and cook in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Periodically open and pour over the heated mixture of fat and meat juice.

Take it out of the oven, sprinkle with baked onions and spread it in a mound on a round earthenware tray.

The garnish is the same: potatoes, beans. But we should not forget that the favorite delicacy of the Turks for breakfast, lunch and dinner is pickled black olives. Instead of breadsmall round Turkish cakes made from unleavened dough - pita, or simit - a bagel sprinkled with sesame seeds. We will not bore you this time with their preparation. In the modern metropolis, they are baked in every self-respecting shawarma. Complement your meal with them and feel like in Turkey.

Afiyet olsun! Which means "eat to your he alth" in Turkish.