Homemade İskender Kebab
The King of Kebabs. Thinly sliced döner meat on a bed of cubed pide bread, smothered in tomato sauce and sizzling butter, served with yogurt.
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Recipe Details
Ingredients
Shopping List
- 500g thinly sliced Beef Tenderloin or RibeyeFreeze slightly to slice thinner
- 2 pieces Pide BreadCut into cubes
- 2 tbsp Tomato PasteDiluted with water
- 100g melted ButterFor the sizzling finish
- 1 cup YogurtThick, strained yogurt
- 4 whole Green PeppersCharred for garnish
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Freeze the meat for 1 hour to make it firm, then slice it as thinly as possible (paper thin).
Step 2
Marinate meat slices with onion juice, milk, and olive oil for at least 2 hours.
Step 3
Sear the meat slices in a very hot pan or skillet until browned and cooked through.
Step 4
Meanwhile, cut the pide bread into cubes and toast them slightly in the oven.
Step 5
Prepare the sauce: Sauté tomato paste with a little butter and water until it forms a smooth, rich sauce.
Step 6
Assembly: Place bread cubes on a plate. Pour some tomato sauce over them. Layer the meat on top. Pour more sauce.
Step 7
The Finale: Melt the butter until it foams and sizzles. Pour it boiling hot over the meat at the table.
Step 8
Serve with a generous dollop of yogurt on the side.
Congratulations!
You've successfully prepared an authentic Turkish dish. Enjoy your delicious creation!
About This Recipe
Invented by İskender Efendi in Bursa in 1867, this dish revolutionized Turkish cuisine. Before him, lamb was roasted horizontally over fire. He had the brilliant idea to roast it vertically, allowing the fat to drip down and baste the meat continuously.
While making a vertical rotisserie at home is difficult, this recipe replicates the flavors perfectly using high-quality steak cuts. The magic of İskender is the trinity of flavors: the crunch of the butter-soaked bread, the tang of the tomato sauce, and the cooling relief of the yogurt.
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