Meatballs and kebabs
In islama köfte, the bread is the main event: slices of stale bread are dipped in a mixture of meat broth and fat, then grilled, with meatballs served alongside. The bread is dipped and lifted out quickly, not left to soak; a slice that absorbs too much liquid will fall apart on the grill. In Sakarya, the meatballs and the soaked bread are served on the same plate but cooked separately.
Soak the bread in water and squeeze it dry. Knead the ground beef, soaked bread, grated onion, salt, and black pepper for 10 minutes. The mixture is ready when it sticks to your hands and holds a fingerprint.
Wet your hands and shape the mixture into finger-length meatballs about 1 cm thick. You should get about twenty-four.
Melt the butter in a pot and cook the tomato paste for 1 minute. Add the meat broth and salt and bring to a boil. The mixture should be dark enough to color the bread.
Dip each slice of bread into the hot mixture for no more than 2 seconds, then lift it out and place it on the grill. Cook each side for 2 minutes, until the edges are browned.
Heat the grill and cook the meatballs for 7–8 minutes per side. Cut one open; no pink should remain in the center. Arrange them over the soaked bread and serve hot.
Refrigerate the meatball mixture for at least 1 hour. Slice the bread 1 day ahead and leave it uncovered; fresh bread will fall apart as soon as it hits the broth.
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