Tender Spiced Turkish Meat (Print)

Slow-cooked spiced Turkish döner meat, thinly sliced and ideal with flatbreads or fresh vegetables.

# Ingredients:

→ Meat

01 - 2.2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder or beef sirloin, thinly sliced
02 - 0.22 lbs lamb fat or beef fat, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Marinade

03 - 5.3 oz plain Greek yogurt
04 - 3 tbsp olive oil
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 large onion, grated with juice squeezed out
07 - 2 tsp ground cumin
08 - 2 tsp ground coriander
09 - 2 tsp sweet paprika
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
12 - 1.5 tsp salt
13 - 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
14 - 0.5 tsp chili flakes (optional)

→ To Serve (optional)

15 - Warm pita or flatbread
16 - Sliced tomatoes
17 - Sliced onions
18 - Shredded lettuce
19 - Cucumber slices
20 - Yogurt or garlic sauce

# Directions:

01 - Combine all marinade ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
02 - Add the sliced meat and optional fat to the marinade, ensuring even coating. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.
03 - Preheat the oven to 400°F, or prepare a vertical rotisserie if available.
04 - If using the oven, thread the marinated meat tightly onto metal skewers, forming a compact stack, or layer the meat in a loaf pan tightly.
05 - Roast the meat on a rack over a tray for 1 hour, occasionally basting with pan juices. Increase the temperature to 430°F for the last 15 minutes to enhance browning.
06 - Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly using a sharp knife.
07 - Serve immediately with warm flatbread and fresh vegetable toppings.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The marinade transforms ordinary meat into something so tender and flavorful that your first bite will surprise you with its depth.
  • You can make this without special equipment, using just your oven and a sharp knife to slice the meat paper-thin like the real thing.
  • It's a crowd-pleaser that feels restaurant-quality but costs far less and tastes even better when you've made it yourself.
02 -
  • Don't skip the marinating time—it's the difference between tender meat and tough meat, and four hours is the absolute minimum; overnight transforms it completely.
  • Slice the meat as thin as you possibly can; thin slices crisp beautifully at the edges while staying tender inside, and they hold sauce better in your bread.
  • If your meat starts browning too fast before the inside is cooked through, tent it loosely with foil and drop the temperature back to 180°C (350°F).
03 -
  • If you have a rotisserie, use it—but your home oven creates something almost as good if you're patient with the basting and don't skip the final high-heat blast.
  • Freeze the meat for two hours before slicing if your butcher won't do it for you; a semi-frozen piece of meat is infinitely easier to slice thin and evenly.
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