The biggest problem with Adana kebab at home is it falling off the skewer, and the cause is almost always the same: the mince is too cold or too lean. Tail fat gives both the flavour and the stickiness and should be at least a fifth of the mixture. Without a zırh, have the butcher grind it coarse; mince put twice through a machine turns to paste and will not hold on the skewer.
Ingredients
For the kebab
To serve
Method
-
Knead the mixture
Knead the mince, tail fat, finely chopped pepper and spices in a wide bowl for 10 minutes. The mixture should cling to your hand as one piece.
-
Rest it
Cover and chill for 30 minutes, then take it out for 10 minutes so it comes close to room temperature. Ice cold mixture will not stick to the skewer.
-
Pack the skewers
Wet your palm, take a piece of the mixture and press it along the flat skewer. Squeeze it on with the gaps between your fingers.
-
Prepare the coals
The coals should have gone white with no flames. If you are doing it on the hob, get the cast iron grill properly hot.
-
Grill
Lay the skewers on the coals and turn them constantly. Twelve minutes in total; if dripping fat causes a flare, move the skewer aside.
-
Char the vegetables
Char the tomatoes and long green peppers on a separate skewer.
-
Serve
Warm the flatbread over the coals and lay it on the plate, then slide the kebab on top. Serve with sumac onion and the charred vegetables.
Tips
- Do not reduce the tail fat. Lean mince neither holds on the skewer nor stays moist; Adana is a fatty kebab.
- Do not put the pepper through a food processor, it releases liquid and loosens the mixture. Chop it very fine with a knife.
- Without skewers, shape the mixture into meatballs and cook them in a cast iron pan; the name changes but the flavour stays.
- Flames burn the fat and leave a sooty taste on the meat. You want embers, not flames.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.