Turkish Lahmacun-Inspired Beef Flatbreads

Ingredients

• 10 oz lean ground beef
• 2 thin flatbreads
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
• 1 small onion or 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 500F (260C), or as high as it goes, with a baking sheet inside. Lahmacun needs the fiercest heat you have so the topping cooks before the bread dries out.
2. Put the crushed tomatoes in a sieve and press out as much liquid as you can, then discard it. A wet topping will steam and slide instead of roasting onto the bread.
3. Mix the ground beef with the drained tomato, onion, garlic, Aleppo pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon until evenly combined.
4. Spread the raw mixture over the flatbreads in a very thin layer, no more than 1/8 inch thick, right out to the edges. Thin is not optional; a thick layer stays raw in the middle.
5. Slide the breads onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the meat is browned and cooked through and the edges of the bread are crisp and blistered.
6. Check that no pink remains in the topping before taking them out.
7. Drizzle with the oil or melted butter, pile the fresh herbs over the top, and squeeze lemon generously over each one.
8. Roll them up loosely and eat immediately, while the bread is still crisp at the edge and soft in the middle.

Allergen note: Contains gluten and dairy.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.