Cig Köfte
Cig Kofte
The most prolific country when it comes to meatballs might be Turkey. It’s estimated that they have more than 200 varieties, each with their own specific combinations of ingredients and cooking methods. Served alone or sometimes in soups or casseroles, with or without sauce, their meatballs are extremely diverse. Perhaps the most unique are cig köfte, a classic Turkish-style steak tartar that comes from the southeastern part of the country. These delicate meatballs of high-quality, fat-free minced beef mixed with ground wheat, tomato paste, garlic, onion, and a mixture of Turkish spices are kneaded (the longer you knead the mixture, the better) and shaped by hand and bear the imprints of its maker's fingers. Many people today opt for a modern, vegetarian version of this ancient Turkish dish.
Ingredients:
5 large ripe tomatoes
2 c. fine bulgur
2 medium onions
5 garlic cloves
2 slices stale bread
1 c. walnut halves
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. pomegranate concentrate
1/4 c. Turkish isot biber (or Mexican chipotle)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. red pepper paste
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
Finely chopped fresh parsley and green onion for garnish
Romaine lettuce leaves and sliced lemon for serving
Preparation:
Wash and peel tomatoes. Place in food processor and puree or use a hand grater to finely grate them. Rinse bulgur under cold water in wire strainer for a few minutes. Drain and place in large mixing bowl with tomato puree. Mix well, cover bowl, and set aside for about 1 hour until bulgur is softened. Peel and coarsely chop onions and garlic. Put into food processor with stale bread and walnut halves. Pulverize on high speed until it’s a fine powder. Add this mixture to tomato and bulgur along with remaining ingredients. Knead mixture until all ingredients are well combined. Divide mixture into portions small enough to fit inside food processor. Process each portion on medium speed until smooth. Combine all processed portions together in a large bowl and continue to knead until it has a smooth consistency. Place in bowl and cover with airtight seal, let sit for at least 5 hours or overnight. For final preparation, break off bite-sized pieces of the mixture and mold them into fingerprint shapes. Arrange on serving platter with leaves of Romaine lettuce and slices of fresh lemon for squeezing.
