Tips and Steps How to Make Turkish Adana Kebab Recipe

Adana Kebab is spicy minced meat from Turkey named after Adana, the fifth largest city in Turkey. It is originally known as kıyma (keema) kebab (minced meat kebab) or simply as kıyma in Adana. The word kabab (کباب) is ultimately from Arabic or Persian but originally meant fried meat, not grilled meat. Many people are more familiar with a şiş (pronounced shish) kebab, as şiş means skewer, but this recipe does not require skewers, although traditionally a wide skewer that is 3 feet (0.9 m) long (80-90 cm) and about an inch wide (2.0-2.5 cm) can be used, if desired. Usually ayran (a diluted yogurt drink), or şalgam (turnip juice), is served as a beverage with it.

However, raki, (anise based Turkish hard liquor drink), is frequently served. An alternative is to serve it as a roll (dürüm also known as sokum); the meat and the vegetables are rolled in a pide bread. This is more of a fast food type of serving although the vegetables and meat are all prepared fresh.

Turkish Adana Kebab Recipe

Ingredients

Makes four patties which are 20 centimeter (7.9 in) x 5 cm (8" x 2").

1. 500-700g (around 1 1/4 lb) ground/minced meat; traditionally this dish is made with lamb meat mixed with fat (preferably from the lamb tail) in proportion of 1:5; you can also use half beef, half mutton or just beef
2. 1 onion
3. 1 red sweet pepper (or substitute dried red pepper flakes for a more traditional and spicier variation)
4. ½ tbsp coriander
5. ½ tbsp cumin
6. 1 tbsp butter
7. 1 tbsp biber (Turkish red pepper paste)
8. A little bit olive oil
9. Salt and pepper

Steps

1. Put the minced meat in a bowl. If you have half beef, half mutton then mix it a bit. 
2. Cut the butter and the onion into small pieces and add them to the minced meat. Add also the coriander, cumin and biber. 
3. Cut the sweet pepper into a few big chunks and use an immersion blender to puree the sweet pepper. If you have no immersion blender you can also cut the sweet pepper into very small pieces. 
4. Add the puree to the minced meat. 
5. Add salt and pepper. 
6. Knead the minced meat. 
7. Divide the minced meat into four equal sized, rectangle shaped kebabs. If you are using the long skewer, you may not need to divide the meat. You would make a long patty to put on the skewer, as shown.
8. Cover the kebabs with olive oil. 
9. Grill the kebabs in an oven, electric indoor grill or on an outdoor grill. With the oven it takes about 15 minutes, with an electric indoor grill it takes about 5 minutes. 

Tips

1. It is better to add not enough salt than too much salt. You can always add more later.
2. How spicy this dish is depends on how much biber you add to it. If you like spicy food, you can add more and/or substitute red pepper flakes instead of red bell pepper.
3. Bread, rice and a salad are good side dishes to go with this recipe. A traditional serving would require serving the Adana Kebab on top of a pile of pide (also known as berberi) or lavash bread slices, with onion salad garnished with sumac, barbecued tomato quarters, and green peppers on a large white plate. You can also provide parsley, mint, and a salad on other dishes and lemon or citron juice to offer a sour flavor that balances the high fat content of the meat.
4. It's best to slice the kebabs in half. This will prevent problems like breaking apart and makes it easier to get it off the grill.
5. To make homemade Biber, put five red bell peppers, two medium red jalapeños and two tablespoons of salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in a mason jar with olive oil to cover in the refrigerator.

Warnings

Do not let fire touch the meat, or it'll leave black soot on it.

Things You'll Need

1. Oven (with grill), electric indoor grill or barbecue
2. Bowl
3. Immersion blender (you can also cut the sweet pepper in to very small pieces but an immersion blender is much easier).

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