40 min
Hands-on time
+ 4 hr soaking or marinating first
MediumDifficulty
5 stepsSteps
Method
- 1 Chop the lamb meat twice with a knife along with the fat in a ratio of eight parts meat to two parts fat.
- 2 Squeeze out the juice from the minced onion and mix it with the meat along with pepper and salt; absolutely no chili peppers should be added — this is the distinguishing feature between Urfa and spicy Adana.
- 3 Stuff the meat mixture for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 4 hours to allow the meat to bind tightly around the skewers.
- 4 Press the meat into long strips around a flat skewer using your cold, wet hands.
- 5 Grill over charcoal for 4 minutes on each side, sprinkle with sumac, then wrap the pita bread with grilled tomatoes.
With an appliance
-
Oven 40 min
Replace step 5: Place the lamb on the middle rack of the oven at 230 degrees for 8 minutes, turning it once at minute 4 and placing a drip tray underneath. The oven ensures even cooking and requires less constant monitoring of the charcoal, resulting in a less smoky outer layer.