A classic among Turkish meat dishes: et sote! We already have the chicken counterpart on the blog (see Tavuk Sote). We usually shy away from the et sote recipe because we are simply afraid that the meat won't be tender. This time, however, we took a chance and you know what? The Et Sote recipe is really easy and is sure to succeed - including tender meat!
What is et sote?
Et means "meat" in Turkish and "sote" comes from sautéing.
Fun fact: In Turkish, many terms have been adopted from French. For example, garson is the waiter/garcon, kuaför the hairdresser or buket the bouquet of flowers.
So when people talk about sote in Turkish, they usually mean classic pan-fried dishes. Other variations include mantar sote (mushroom pan) or biber sote (bell pepper pan). Et Sote is very often found on the menus of Turkish restaurants.
This et sote recipe is therefore a meat dish, which is typically Turkish with peppers, tomatoes and a few extras. It is a recipe that is particularly popular around Eid ul-Adha (kurban bayrami). After all, this is a time for preparing large quantities of meat. The Et Sote recipe is of course ideal for this. However, Et Sote is also a quick and easy Turkish meat dish for all other times of the year.
Ideas for your Et Sote recipe
Et Sote recipes can differ in terms of the exact ingredients. The base is simply meat (mutton or beef, we used beef), tomatoes and peppers.
For example, we have added a little salca, i.e. paprika paste*. It doesn't have to be, but we have such delicious hot paprika at the moment that we love cooking with it.
We also didn't add any garlic because we didn't feel like it. For others, garlic is a must in the Et Sote, which is why you have a free hand here. You can also experiment with spices such as cumin, paprika powder, pul biber or kekik* (thyme). And while tomatoes are a must, we used canned tomatoes as we still had half a can in the fridge. In the Et Sote recipe, however, we add the fresh tomatoes because they make it that little bit better.
When it comes to choosing the right fat for the Et Sote recipe, butter is unbeatable in terms of taste. Nevertheless, we have used good olive oil for our Et Sote recipe. It works just as well with sunflower oil or a combination of two oils. If you have Kuyruk Yagi, i.e. fat from the fat-tailed sheep's tail, all the better.
In short, the et sote recipe is really flexible. So feel free to use our et sote recipe as a basis for experimentation.
The right meat for the Et Sote recipe
You can experiment a lot with the Et Sote recipe. However, what is really important is that the meat is tender. That is THE be-all and end-all. Lamb is always a good choice as it softens more quickly. But high-quality beef also works well. In principle, Et Sote should not take long, but this ultimately depends on whether the meat softens.
To be honest, our Et Sote did take a while. We used beef, which is simply sold here as "kusbasi", i.e. "sliced meat" or "meat cubes". This type of meat always takes a while to cook. So if your meat is still hard during the cooking process, add a little water. Or, of course, you can choose tender pieces of beef or lamb for your Et Sote right from the start.
Fancy chicken? Then the tavuk sote is for you!
Serving et sote: What goes with it?
Et Sote is a truly typical Turkish meat dish that is perfectly complemented by other typical Turkish side dishes. So how about;
- Turkish rice, bulgur or Eriste Pilavi (we have made this Turkish noodle side dish)
- Shepherd's salad or purslane salad
- Flower bread, pide or katmer
- Ayran, cacik, garlic yoghurt or plain yoghurt
- Soup
- Tursu (pickled vegetables)
Have fun and afiyet olsun :-)
Et Sote recipe: Turkish meat dish with peppers and tomatoes
Preparation
Step 1: Heat the oil and sear the meat on all sides. Meanwhile, chop the onions.
Step 2: Once the meat is browned on all sides, add the onions. Fry them until translucent.
Step 3: Now add the chopped peppers. Mix everything constantly over a medium-high heat.
If the pan is too dry, add a little oil or butter.
Step 4: Mix in the salca and finally add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Salt and season everything and add water so much to the pan that everything is covered.
Step 5: Now everything works depending on the meat. Leave the Et Sote to simmer with the lid on until the water has evaporated. If the meat is soft, serve hot straight away.
However, if the meat is still too hard, add a little water, leave the Et Sote to simmer and repeat the process if necessary until the meat is tender.
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