Iskender Kebab

• 160 g raw Sirloin steak (5.6 oz raw)
• 2 g Paprika (¾ tsp)
• 1 g Ground cumin (½ tsp)
• 0.5 g Dried oregano (½ tsp)
• 1 g Garlic powder (⅓ tsp)
• 1.2 g Salt (¼ tsp)
• 0.3 g Black pepper (⅛ tsp)
• 4 g Vegetable oil (¾ tsp)
• 80 g (1 large pita) Pita bread
• 80 g raw Green bell pepper (2.8 oz raw)
• 80 g raw Tomato (2.8 oz raw)
• 100 g Tomato sauce (3.5 oz)
• 8 g Butter (½ tbsp)
• 110 g Nonfat Greek yogurt (½ cup)

You'll need: Large frying pan, Small saucepan, Cutting board and knife, Tongs, Plate.

Method

1. Slice and season the beef

   Slice the steak across the grain into strips about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Then scrub the board, knife and your hands with soap before you touch anything else. Toss them with the paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cut the pita into 2 cm (¾ inch) squares and slice the pepper and tomato.

   Chill the steak for 10 minutes first. It's much easier to slice thinly when it's cold.

2. Toast the pita and char the vegetables

   Heat half the oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Toast the pita squares for 3 minutes, turning, until golden, and set them aside. Add the pepper and tomato and cook for about 3 minutes, until blistered and charred in spots.

   Don't move the vegetables for the first minute. That's how they get the char.

3. Sear the beef

   Add the rest of the oil and turn the heat to high. Sear the beef in two batches for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until browned and cooked through, well past 63°C (145°F).

   Work in batches. Crowded steak steams and turns gray.

4. Warm the tomato sauce

   Warm the tomato sauce in the small saucepan with half the butter over low heat for about 3 minutes, until glossy. In the other pan, melt the remaining butter until it smells nutty.

   Butter rounds off the acidity of the tomato and gives the sauce its restaurant shine.

5. Layer the plate

   Spread the pita squares on a plate and spoon over half the sauce. Pile the beef on top, then the pepper and tomato, and pour over the rest of the sauce and the browned butter. Serve with the yogurt alongside.

   Add the sauce just before serving. The pita should stay a little crisp at the edges.

Swaps

• Sirloin steak → Lean ground beef (90%), crumbledCheaper, and cooked to 71°C (160°F); about 40 kcal more.
• Pita bread → Naan breadSofter and richer, about 30 kcal more.