Dinner · 40 min · turkish

Iskender Kebab

Weeknight-friendly Turkish cooking: Iskender Kebab comes together in 40 minutes with lamb, pita bread, and not much else.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Lamb
• 4 Pita bread
• 2 cups Plain yogurt
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1 cup Tomato sauce
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 2 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Freeze the lamb for 45 minutes until firm but not solid — semi-frozen meat shaves into the paper-thin slices this dish demands. Slice as thin as you possibly can.
2. Sear the lamb slices in batches in a ripping-hot skillet, 90 seconds a side, seasoning with salt as you go. Work in batches so the meat sears instead of steaming.
3. Warm the tomato sauce with the paprika and a pinch of salt until it bubbles lazily. Melt the butter in a small pan until it foams and smells nutty.
4. Tear the pita into bite-size pieces and arrange on a wide platter. Spoon over half the tomato sauce so the bread drinks it in.
5. Pile the hot lamb over the bread, then spoon the rest of the sauce over the meat. Add big dollops of cool yogurt around the edges — never on top of the hot meat.
6. Finish by drizzling the sizzling butter over everything at the table. Eat immediately, while the contrast of hot lamb, warm bread, and cold yogurt is at its peak.

Build my plan — free

← All recipes