Turkish•comfort

Turkish Döner Kebab (Beef or Lamb)

Turkish doner kebab is a sizzling stack of spiced meat sliced into tender, crispy bites and served with warm bread, veggies, and sauce.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

1 large yellow onion (pureed)
1 lb ground beef 80/20 (or ground lamb)
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion (thinly sliced into semicircles)
8 sprigs of parsley (chopped)
1 teaspoon ground sumac
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons yogurt or labneh
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 small Persian cucumber (shredded, drained)
3-4 sprigs dill (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 pita, pide or lavash bread
Sliced pickles, tomatoes and warm french fries ((I had it like this in Istanbul))

1
In a bowl mix together the ground beef or lamb, yogurt, milk, salt, red pepper flakes, thyme, cinnamon and black pepper.
2
Puree the onion in a food processor or blender and strain through a sieve, pressing the onion juice on the meat mixture (nearly all of the onion passes through, I just prefer no chunks) and knead until the thoroughly mixed.
3
Using wet hands, form the döner mixture into a 8-inch log shape and wrap in foil, twisting both ends to seal. Transfer to your freezer for 3-4 hours (you can keep frozen for up to 6 months and use whenever you want).
4
Prep Onion Sumac Salad and White Cucumber Sauce.
5
When it's time to cook, take out the frozen döner let it sit for 5 minutes. Carefully, cut thin slices (as thin as you can). Don’t try to slice all the mixture at once, work in batches. You can prepare each portion at a time so you can cook the slices before they are thawed (you can deepfreeze the rest of the döner again for later. Don’t place it in the freezer if it is thawed).
6
Working in batches, heat a large skillet on medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place half of the doner slices in the pan and cook both sides until they are browned. Don’t try to flip before one side is cooked. Cook rest of the slices with the rest of the butter.
7
Serve over warm pita, pide or lavash bread spread with the White Cucumber Sauce, topped with the sizzling döner meat and the Onion Sumac Salad. Slices of pickle and tomatoes optional!