Turkish Lamb Köfte (Grilled Spiced Lamb Patties with Garlic Yogurt Sauce and Sumac Onions)

Köfte (Turkish meatballs, pronounced roughly KURF-teh) are the everyday grilled meat of Turkey: seasoned minced lamb kneaded until it is springy, shaped into ovals by hand and cooked over charcoal or in a hot pan until deeply browned outside and juicy inside. In autumn, when it is still just warm enough to grill outdoors but the evenings call for something heartier than a salad, a platter of köfte with cold garlicky yogurt, a tangle of sumac-stained onions and warm flatbread is one of the most satisfying dinners you can put together in 40 minutes of hands-on time.

Three details make the difference between dense, dry meatballs and proper köfte. First, the onion is grated and then squeezed hard to remove its juice, so you get all of its sweetness without the water that makes patties fall apart and steam instead of sear. Second, the mixture is kneaded for a full 3 to 5 minutes, far longer than you would for a burger; this works the proteins into a sticky paste that holds together without egg and gives köfte their characteristic bouncy texture. Third, the shaped patties are chilled for at least 30 minutes, which firms the fat so they keep their shape and brown properly on the grill.

Use lamb with a decent amount of fat (around 20 percent) or a half-and-half mix of lamb and beef, which is how many Turkish butchers sell köfte mince. Pul biber, the mildly hot, fruity Turkish red pepper flakes also sold as Aleppo pepper, gives the meat its warm background heat; the yogurt sauce and sumac onions can be made while the patties chill.

Ingredients

For the köfte

• 600 g (1 1/3 lb) minced lamb with about 20 percent fat, or 300 g lamb plus 300 g beef
• 1 medium onion (about 150 g / 5 oz), grated on the coarse side of a box grater and squeezed dry
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 30 g / 1 oz), leaves finely chopped
• 40 g (about 1/2 cup) fine dry breadcrumbs, or 1 thick slice of stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon pul biber (Aleppo pepper), or 1/2 teaspoon mild chili flakes plus 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for frying

For the garlic yogurt sauce

• 250 g (1 cup) thick plain yogurt, Greek-style or strained
• 1 small garlic clove, grated to a paste with a pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint or dill
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the sumac onions and to serve

• 1 red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon ground sumac
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt
• A handful of parsley leaves
• Warm flatbread (pide or lavash) or 300 g (1 2/3 cups) cooked bulgur pilaf
• Shepherd's salad: 2 tomatoes, 1 cucumber and 1/2 onion diced small, dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and salt

Instructions

1. Grate the onion into a fine sieve set over a bowl, then press it firmly with the back of a spoon, or twist it in a clean cloth, until no more juice runs out. You should be left with about 3 tablespoons of onion pulp. Discard the juice or keep it for a soup.
2. Put the lamb, squeezed onion, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, cumin, pul biber, paprika, black pepper and salt in a large bowl. Knead with your hands for 3 to 5 minutes, pressing and folding the meat against the side of the bowl, until it turns from crumbly to a smooth, sticky, uniform paste that clings to your fingers.
3. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions (about 55 g / 2 oz each). With lightly wet hands, roll each into a ball, then flatten and elongate it into an oval patty about 8 cm (3 inches) long and 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick. Press a shallow dent into the center of each with your thumb so they cook evenly.
4. Arrange the patties on a plate, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. This firms the fat so the köfte hold their shape and brown rather than crumble.
5. While they chill, make the yogurt sauce: stir the yogurt with the garlic paste, lemon juice, mint or dill and olive oil, season with salt and refrigerate. Then make the sumac onions: toss the sliced red onion with the sumac, lemon juice and salt, rubbing them together with your fingers for 30 seconds, and set aside so the onion softens and turns deep pink.
6. To pan-fry, heat a large heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until very hot, add the olive oil and lay in half the patties without crowding. Cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, until a dark brown crust forms, then flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until just firm to the touch and 70°C (160°F) in the center. Repeat with the rest.
7. To grill instead, cook over hot charcoal or on a preheated gas grill over direct high heat for about 3 minutes per side, brushing the grates with oil first, until charred outside and just cooked through.
8. Rest the köfte on a warm platter for 2 minutes, then scatter over the sumac onions and parsley. Serve with the garlic yogurt sauce, warm flatbread or bulgur pilaf and the shepherd's salad on the side.

Tips

• Fry a small test piece before shaping all the patties and adjust the salt; once shaped, it is much harder to fix the seasoning. Köfte should taste well seasoned, since the yogurt and bread mellow it.
• Substitutions: beef works alone if you cannot get lamb, but choose 20 percent fat mince or add 50 g of finely grated cold butter to keep it juicy. Without pul biber, use mild chili flakes plus a little paprika as noted. Sumac can be replaced with an extra squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt on the onions. For a gluten-free version, use 3 tablespoons of fine cornmeal or leave the breadcrumbs out and knead a minute longer.
• Make ahead and storage: the shaped raw patties keep in the fridge for 24 hours or in the freezer for 3 months (freeze on a tray, then bag; cook from frozen over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side). Cooked köfte keep 3 days in the fridge and reheat well in a covered skillet with a splash of water for 5 minutes, or sliced cold into a wrap. The yogurt sauce keeps 3 days; the sumac onions are best the day they are made.
• What to serve with it: the classic Turkish plate is köfte, warm pide or lavash, grilled long green peppers and tomato halves cooked next to the meat, a mound of bulgur pilaf or rice, shepherd's salad and a bowl of garlic yogurt. Fold everything into the flatbread with the sumac onions for an excellent dürüm-style wrap.
• Do not press the patties down with a spatula while they cook, and do not move them for the first 3 minutes; the crust needs time to form and the juices should stay inside.
• For a smokier flavor on a gas stove, char the finished patties for 20 seconds directly over the flame with tongs, or cook them on a ridged grill pan.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is an estimate only: about 490 kcal, 33 g protein, 34 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate per serving of 3 köfte with yogurt sauce and sumac onions, without bread, bulgur or salad.