Iskender Kebab

Method

1. 01

   Put 700 g beef in the freezer for 30 minutes if it is not already thinly sliced, then slice it as thinly as possible across the grain. Squeeze the grated onion through your hand or a fine sieve and mix only the juice with 120 ml milk, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Coat the beef, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

   ⏱ 60 min
2. 02

   For the sauce, melt 30 g of the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it smells sweet and darkens slightly, then add the grated tomatoes, hot water, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until smooth and pourable, about 8 minutes, then keep warm.

   ⏱ 8 min
3. 03

   Toast the bread pieces in a dry skillet or a 180 C oven until warm and lightly crisp at the edges but still able to absorb sauce. At the same time, blister the 4 green peppers and 2 halved tomatoes in a hot skillet or under a high broiler for the serving plate.

   ⏱ 8 min
4. 04

   Heat a wide skillet until very hot. Shake excess marinade from the beef and sear it in batches in a single layer, turning once, until browned and just cooked through. Keep the slices loose and thin so they resemble pan-cooked doner rather than a steak.

   
5. 05

   Divide the toasted bread among warm plates and spoon a little tomato sauce over it. Pile the hot beef slices over the bread, spoon more sauce across the meat, and place the yogurt on the side of each plate with the blistered pepper and tomato.

   
6. 06

   Melt the remaining 70 g butter in a small pan until foamy and fragrant but not burnt. Pour it immediately over the sauced meat and bread, then serve the Iskender hot while the bread is partly crisp and partly soaked with sauce.