Tantuni (طنطوني) — Turkish Spiced Beef Wrap from Mersin

• 600 gbeef sirloin, very thinly sliced (Partially freeze 30 minutes for easier slicing)
• 300 mlwater (For par-cooking the beef)
• 7 gfine salt (About 1 1/4 tsp)
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspAleppo pepper flakes (Use 1/2 tsp for milder heat)
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 6 ggarlic, finely grated (About 2 small cloves)
• 30 mlneutral oil (Such as sunflower or canola)
• 30 gunsalted butter (Traditional richness; can be replaced)
• 15 gtomato paste (About 1 tbsp)
• 30 mllemon juice, freshly squeezed (About 2 tbsp)
• 4lavash or thin Turkish dürüm bread
• 150 gyellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tspsumac
• 25 gflat-leaf parsley, chopped (About 1 cup loosely packed)
• 200 gtomatoes, diced
• 60 gTurkish pickled peppers, sliced (Or any mild pickled green pepper)

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the beef as thinly as possible into short strips, aiming for 2–3 mm thickness so it cooks in seconds. Keep it chilled while you prepare the rest, because cold meat sears faster and releases less water.

2. 2

   Make the onion-sumac salad by tossing the sliced onion with sumac and 2 g salt, then squeezing it firmly for 30 seconds to soften and lightly stain it purple. Stir in the parsley and set aside, because this quick maceration is what gives tantuni its signature tangy crunch.

3. 3

   Par-cook the beef by adding the 300 ml water and 3 g of the salt to a wide pan and bringing it to a strong simmer. Add the beef, stir, and simmer for 6 minutes until the meat turns gray and most of the liquid has reduced; this step keeps the final sauté fast and street-style.

4. 4

   Push the beef to one side and add the oil and butter to the empty side of the pan, letting the butter foam without browning. Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then add cumin, paprika, Aleppo pepper, black pepper, and grated garlic; blooming the spices in fat builds the classic Mersin aroma.

5. 5

   Toss the beef through the spiced fat and sauté over high heat for 3–4 minutes until the edges begin to caramelize and the pan looks lightly glossy, not watery. Add the remaining 4 g salt and the lemon juice, then cook 30 seconds more so the lemon stays bright rather than bitter.

6. 6

   Warm each lavash for 10–15 seconds per side in a dry skillet so it becomes pliable and lightly toasted. For the most authentic texture, briefly swipe the bread through the pan’s spiced juices for 2–3 seconds, then lay it flat immediately so it does not tear.

7. 7

   Assemble each wrap with about one quarter of the beef, a generous line of sumac onions and parsley, a spoon of diced tomato, and a few slices of pickled pepper. Roll tightly into a dürüm, let it sit seam-side down for 30 seconds to seal, and serve hot while the meat is still sizzling.