Turkish Wrap Recipe (Tantuni)

5 from 3 votes

Tender beef cooked with butter or lamb fat, then wrapped in lavash with sumac onions, tomatoes, parsley, and pickled peppers.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Servings: wraps

Calories: 333kcal

Trim the steak well, removing all silverskin, sinew, and hard fat. Cut it into very small cubes, about ⅕ inch / ½ cm. Finely chop the lamb fat if using it.
Place the sliced red onion, parsley, sumac, salt, and optional pul biber in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Slice or dice the tomatoes and set them aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb fat and let it render. If using butter, add it to the skillet and let it melt.
Add the diced beef. Cook for about 10 minutes, until it releases its water and absorbs it again.
Add the salt, paprika, and black pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
Pour in the water and cook for another 10 minutes, until about half the liquid has evaporated and the beef is tender.

Lay one piece of lavash or tortilla over the cooked beef for about 20 seconds so it absorbs the pan juices.
Place the bread on a plate with the moistened side facing up. Add about 2 tablespoons of beef, tomatoes, and sumac onion salad.
Fold in the sides and roll tightly. Repeat with the remaining wraps.
Cut the Tantuni wraps in half and serve immediately with pickled peppers, extra onion salad, and tomatoes.

Use a lean, tender steak such as sirloin, top sirloin, rump steak, or filet steak. Trim all silverskin and sinew before cutting the beef.
Cut the beef into very small pieces, about ⅕ inch / ½ cm. Larger pieces need more time to cook and can become chewy.
Lamb fat gives the most traditional flavor, but unsalted butter is an easy and reliable substitute. Olive oil can be used if needed.
Do not let all the liquid evaporate from the skillet. Leave a little juice in the pan so the lavash can absorb the flavor.
Place the lavash over the meat for only about 20 seconds. Leaving it too long can make the bread too wet and difficult to roll.
Use soft, thin lavash or flour tortillas. Thick wraps are harder to soak with the juices and can make the filling feel too heavy.
Prepare the onion salad shortly before serving. It tastes best when the onions are still fresh and lightly crisp.
Serve Tantuni immediately after rolling. Store the beef, onion salad, tomatoes, and bread separately if you need to prepare parts ahead.
Store cooked beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a skillet with a splash of water, then warm fresh lavash over the juices before assembling.
Freeze the cooked beef filling for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Do not freeze the tomatoes, onion salad, or assembled wraps.