Harput Köftesi: Elazığ Bulgur Meatballs

The best meatball recipes in Turkey are regional, and this one comes from Harput, the old town above Elazığ.

Beef and fine bulgur, poached in a light tomato broth rather than fried. It looks more complicated than it is — no harder than any other meatball once the mixture is made.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, medium fat
1 1/2 cups fine bulgur (köftelik)
1 onion, finely diced
5–6 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups water

Method

Make the mixture

Finely dice the onion.

Put the onion, chopped parsley, basil and salt in a bowl and rub them together with your fingers for a minute. This is not a formality — working the salt into the onion draws out its juices and the herbs release their oils into them.

Add the ground beef, bulgur and 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste.

Knead for 10 minutes. The bulgur needs to hydrate from the moisture in the meat and onion, and the mixture needs to become smooth and elastic. Underworked, the köfte fall apart in the broth.

If it feels dry, wet your hands rather than adding water directly.

Shape

Take pieces slightly smaller than a walnut and roll them smooth between your palms.

Press each one from both sides with your thumbs to make a shallow dimple in the middle.

The dimple is deliberate. It increases surface area, helps the center cook through at the same rate as the outside, and it is how Harput köftesi is recognized.

Cook

Melt the butter in a pot with the remaining tablespoon of tomato paste. Cook them together for 2 minutes, stirring — the paste needs the fat and heat to lose its raw edge.

Add the water and bring to a boil.

Lower the köfte into the simmering broth. Do not stir them in the first few minutes; let them set first.

Simmer for about 25 minutes, until the bulgur is tender and the köfte are cooked through.

Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil. Hard boiling breaks them apart.

Serve

Strain off the broth into a bowl.

Plate the köfte and spoon a little of the broth over them.

Keep the rest of the broth. It is what you reheat the leftovers in — reheating these in a dry pan or microwave dries them out completely, while a few minutes back in their own broth brings them fully back.

Chef’s note

Dried basil is what the original calls for, and it is unusual in Turkish meatballs — most use mint or parsley alone. It is worth keeping; the basil is part of what makes this version taste like Harput and not like anywhere else.