İnegöl Köfte

İnegöl Köfte (Turkish Meatballs from Bursa)

İnegöl Köfte is a famous grilled meatball from the town of İnegöl in Bursa province. Unlike many Turkish köfte, it contains no breadcrumbs, no herbs and no spices beyond salt, black pepper and a touch of baking soda — the flavor comes purely from the meat, the soaked bread, and the sweet flavor of grilled onion.

Prep

40 min

Cook

12 min

Total

52 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) lean beef (minced), chuck or shoulder, twice-ground
• •200 g (7 oz) lamb mince, from the shoulder, with some fat
• •60 g (2 oz (about 2 slices)) day-old Turkish bread or rustic white bread, crusts removed, soaked and squeezed dry
• •120 g (1 medium (≈ 4¼ oz)) onion, very finely grated, juices reserved
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •3 g (1 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •2 g (½ tsp) baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), traditional tenderizer; do not increase
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) cold water, only if needed to bind
• •20 ml (1½ tbsp) olive oil or sunflower oil, for brushing
• •200 g (1 medium) tomato, sliced, for serving
• •80 g (½ small head) lettuce or iceberg leaves, for serving
• •4 g flat-leaf parsley, optional garnish
• •4 pieces (4 halves) pide or Turkish flatbread, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Soak the bread in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out every drop of moisture and crumble the bread finely — it should feel like damp crumbs, not a paste.
2. 2 Peel the onion and grate it on the finest side of a box grater. Tip the gratings into a small sieve and press gently to remove excess water (keep 1–2 tbsp of the juice, discard the rest).
3. 3 In a large bowl, combine the beef, lamb, soaked bread, grated onion, salt, black pepper and baking soda. Mix with your fingertips for 3–4 minutes, lifting and slapping the mixture back into the bowl so it becomes sticky and uniform. Add 1 tbsp cold water only if the mix feels stiff and refuses to hold together.
4. 4 Cover the bowl and rest the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (traditionally up to 2 hours) — this relaxes the meat proteins and helps the köfte hold its shape on the grill.
5. 5 Wet your hands with cold water and divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about 70 g / 2½ oz each). Roll each portion into a smooth ball, then flatten gently between your palms into an oval about 9 cm long and 1.5 cm thick (3½ in × ⅝ in), with slightly tapered ends — the classic İnegöl shape.
6. 6 Preheat a charcoal grill to medium-hot (about 200 °C / 390 °F), or heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high until just smoking. Oil the grates lightly with an oiled kitchen towel. (A charcoal grill is the most authentic choice; a grill pan or broiler is a fair home-kitchen substitute.)
7. 7 Brush the köfte all over with oil and lay them on the grill. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side without moving them, until well seared with clear grill marks. Flip and cook a further 3–4 minutes on the second side. The köfte are done when the surface is lightly charred, the meat feels firm to the touch, and juices run clear with no pink — internal temperature should reach 71 °C / 160 °F on an instant-read thermometer.
8. 8 In the last 2 minutes of grilling, place the tomato slices and a thick slice of onion (if you saved one) directly on the grill to char slightly — these are served alongside.
9. 9 Transfer the köfte to a platter, rest 2 minutes, and serve hot with the grilled tomato, lettuce leaves, parsley and warm pide bread. The classic accompaniment is also a small bowl of grated tomato with sumac, or a squeeze of lemon.