Köfte — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Intensely seasoned hand-shaped lamb and beef meatballs, grilled over charcoal or pan-fried until crusty outside and succulent inside, served with flatbread.

Ingredients

300g ground lamb
200g ground beef
1 medium onion, grated and squeezed dry
2 slices stale bread, soaked and squeezed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pul biber
Large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sumac

Instructions

1 Combine ground lamb and beef in a large bowl with grated onion, soaked bread, garlic, egg, and all the spices thoroughly.
2 Knead the mixture vigorously for five minutes until it becomes smooth, sticky, and well combined with visible cohesion.
3 Shape into oval patties about eight centimeters long and two centimeters thick, pressing firmly so they hold together tightly.
4 Grill over hot charcoal or cook in a heavy cast-iron skillet with minimal oil for four minutes per side until charred.
5 Let the kofte rest for two minutes after cooking so the juices redistribute evenly throughout each perfectly formed patty.
6 Serve on warm flatbread with sliced tomatoes, grilled peppers, sumac-dressed onions, and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon.

Did You Know?

Turkey has over 290 officially documented varieties of köfte, each named after the town or region where it originated.