Bursa Meatballs With Pita Description and Distinctive Features of the Product: Bursa Pideli Köfte is a dish made with pita bread, meatballs, sauce, and butter. On the meatballs, onions are not used, and no other spice is added to the mixture except black pepper and cumin. The flour used in pita production contains no additives and is bran-free.Bursa Pideli Köfte is served by placing at least 8 meatballs, each weighing at least 10 g, on top of square or rectangular-cut pitas. Yogurt is always added to the serving plate, along with tomato paste sauce and butter. The history of Bursa Pideli Köfte dates back to the 1870s. It is known that the first pideli köfte was made in 1871 in the central district of Bursa and became widespread, especially with the establishment of a historical pita bakery in Bursa in 1876. The bakery closed during the years of the War of Independence and reopened after the war ended. In the early 1900s, especially on market days in the central district of Bursa, many people from towns and villages would eat pideli köfte in the historic Kayhan Bazaar before returning home, and this became almost a tradition. Production Method: The first stage in the production of Bursa Pideli Köfte is the preparation of the minced meat. The meat for the köfte is obtained from daily supplied and cold-chain unbroken beef (veal). 80-90% of the meat should come from ribs, with the remaining portion consisting of a mixture of thigh and arm. If the meat is lean, brisket can also be used. The meat is ground twice. The second grinding of the meat is done with a mixture of bread, salt, and spices, and the meat is rested at +4 °C overnight. For 1 kg of minced meat, 100-120 g of stale bread crumbs are used. A significant feature of Bursa Pideli Köfte is the absence of onions in the meatball preparation. To the mixture of stale bread and minced meat, 10 g of salt, 10 g of black pepper, and 10 g of cumin are added. The prepared köfte dough is kneaded for 10-15 minutes, rolled into 10-12 g pieces, and stored in the refrigerator until the cooking stage. Preparation of the Pita: The pita for Bursa Pideli Köfte is prepared using a mixture of flour, salt, water, and a combination of fresh and sourdough yeast. For 50 kg of flour, 50 kg of water, 500 g of a mixture of fresh and sourdough yeast (in equal parts), 550-650 g of rock salt are added. The flour used in pita production contains no additives and is bran-free. The dough mixture is kneaded for 15-20 minutes and left to ferment for 30-45 minutes. After the dough has fermented, 220 g pieces are taken, shaped into pita, and baked in wood-fired ovens (usually made of oak) at 450-500 °C for 5.5-6 minutes. Preparation of the Sauce: Only water and tomato paste are used in the preparation of the sauce. It is important that the water and tomato paste are at room temperature when the sauce is started. While preparing Bursa Pideli Köfte, the sauce should be kept at a low heat constantly. The consistency of the sauce should be checked at intervals, and it should maintain the consistency it had when first prepared. Cooking and Preparation for Presentation: At this stage, it is necessary to coordinate the kitchen so that the sauce, pita, and meatballs are ready simultaneously. Therefore, it is preferred to have at least two chefs in the kitchen during the preparation of Bursa Pideli Köfte. The pitas are grilled for at least 5 minutes over charcoal. During grilling, the pitas are pressed by hand, and the heat is evenly distributed. Some chefs pour warm bone broth over the pitas after grilling. After this process, the meatballs should be cooked over a charcoal fire, and the sauce and butter should be ready at the same time. Half of a pita is sliced into cubes or rectangles and placed on a plate. The use of hot tomato sauce depends on the presentation style. If the sauce is to be poured beforehand, after pouring the sauce, the plate is covered with the hand, giving it a slight slope, and excess sauce is removed. Within 15-20 seconds after pouring the sauce, hot melted butter should be drizzled over the pitas. Otherwise, the pitas will soften and lose their vitality. Meatballs are then placed on the pitas prepared with sauce and butter in a triangular shape or scattered, depending on the presentation style.