Beef Aorta | Adana-Style Boiled Cold Cuts

Cut the aorta lengthwise and open it like a tube. Use the back of a knife to scrape away the shiny, slippery inner membrane and the yellowish fat and connective tissue on the outside; these layers will not melt during cooking and will feel rubbery in the mouth. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.

Put the aorta in a pot with plenty of cold water and bring it to a boil. Skim off the gray foam from the surface, boil for 5 more minutes, then drain all the water and rinse the aorta with hot water. This first boil removes most of the blood and strong odor.

Put the aorta in a pot with fresh water. Cut the onion in half and add it with the bay leaf and salt. Leave the lid slightly ajar and cook at a gentle simmer, with only occasional bubbles at the surface. Judge doneness by texture, not time: a fork should enter without resistance while the piece still holds its shape. If the water reduces, top it up with hot water.

Turn off the heat and leave the aorta in its cooking liquid; cooling it in the liquid keeps it moist and prevents the slices from falling apart. Once it reaches room temperature, remove it, pat it dry, and slice it diagonally with a sharp knife into 2–3 mm pieces. The thickness is right if the slices look translucent when held up to the light.

In a wide bowl, toss the slices with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with sumac, dried mint, and red pepper flakes, then fold from the bottom up by hand. Add the coarsely chopped parsley at the last moment. Serve cold; as it warms, the texture softens and loses its slight bite.