From Bursa’s streets to the home kitchen: A homemade İskender recipe with sizzling butter

The key to making thin, tender İskender döner at home is simple: freeze the meat first. The recipe calls for 400 grams of a single piece of lightly fatty beef entrecôte or sirloin. Freeze it overnight, then remove it 20 to 30 minutes before cooking, while it remains firm enough to slice into paper-thin pieces.

Season the slices with oil, salt, black pepper, and thyme. For the sauce, cook tomato paste in butter for two to three minutes, then add hot water, salt, and a little pepper. Simmer the mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes until it becomes thick but still pourable.

Cut two pieces of fresh pide into bite-sized cubes. Turn them in a wide pan with a little butter for three or four minutes, until warm, lightly crisp, and fragrant. Heat a wide, heavy-based pan until smoking, add oil, and arrange the thin meat slices without overlapping them. Because they are so thin, they change color within seconds. Sear them quickly on both sides without drying them out, adding the seasoning near the end.

Spread the hot pide across a serving plate and pour half the tomato sauce over it so the bread absorbs some of the liquid. Place the cooked döner on top, then add the remaining sauce. Heat three to four tablespoons of real butter until it foams, lightly browns, and releases its distinctive aroma. Finish the plate with strained yogurt, grilled tomatoes, and green peppers, then pour the sizzling butter over the kebab and serve immediately.