Meatballs and kebabs
For Balaban meatballs, the patties are first seared in a pan, then covered with a yogurt-and-egg mixture and baked. The topping puffs up and turns golden, helping keep the meatballs moist. In Eskişehir, it is a dish for entertaining guests and is served straight from the baking dish.
Soak the bread in water and squeeze it dry. Knead the ground beef, soaked bread, grated onion, egg, salt, and black pepper for 10 minutes. The mixture is ready when it sticks to your hand and holds a fingerprint.
Wet your hands, take walnut-sized portions of the mixture, roll them between your palms, and flatten them slightly. You should get about two dozen meatballs.
Heat a wide skillet and cook the meatballs for 2 minutes per side, just until the outsides are browned. The centers may still be raw; they will finish cooking in the oven. Transfer the meatballs to a baking dish and let them cool until warm.
Whisk the yogurt, eggs, flour, grated garlic, and salt until smooth. The flour coats the yogurt proteins and helps keep the mixture from curdling in the oven.
Pour the yogurt mixture over the warm meatballs and drizzle with the melted butter. Bake in a preheated 200°C / 390°F oven for 25–28 minutes. The dish is ready when the topping is puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Refrigerate the meatball mixture for at least 30 minutes; if it does not rest, the patties may fall apart in the pan. Do not pour the yogurt mixture over hot meatballs. Let them cool until warm, or the mixture may curdle.
Köfteleri tavada mühürlemeden fırına attım, yoğurtlu terbiyenin içinde dağıldılar. Mühürleme adımı şart. Terbiyeyi fırına vermeden önce ılıtmak da gerekiyor, buzdolabından çıkan yoğurtla tepsiye döküldüğünde kesildi.
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