Mains Turkish

Turkish beef and mushroom sauté

Diced beef simmered until tender, then tossed with browned button mushrooms, peppers, tomato and tomato paste in a rich Turkish-style sauté.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 50 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium

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How do you make a Turkish beef and mushroom sauté? Brown the diced beef over a high heat until its juices evaporate, simmer it gently with a little water until tender, then fold in mushrooms browned in a separate pan along with onion, peppers, tomato paste and tomato. Cooked too long with the meat, mushrooms shrink and turn rubbery.

Use a cut suitable for dicing such as topside or chuck. In a pressure cooker the beef is tender in about 15 minutes; the remaining steps stay the same.

Servings 4

The mushroom in this recipe

Button mushroom Agaricus bisporus

About this species Grow it at home Fresh mushrooms

Mushroom swaps

Chestnut / cremini mushroom Agaricus bisporusReleases less water and has a stronger flavour.
Oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatusTear into strips by hand; it cooks quickly.

Tips

Don't crowd the pan; small batches over a high heat brown much better.
Salt the beef after it has softened; early salting can make it tougher.
Serve with buttery rice pilaf, bulgur pilaf or mashed potatoes.

Storage

Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. Reheat thoroughly with a splash of water; it freezes for up to 2 months.

Read our guide to storing mushrooms →

Which cut of beef, and how to dice it

For a Turkish beef and mushroom sauté we use shoulder, topside, ribeye or sirloin. Shoulder and topside are more economical and have more connective tissue, so they need a little longer but give the sauce a lovely body; ribeye and sirloin soften faster. Lamb works too; just shorten the cooking time slightly.

Cut the beef into even cubes of about 2 cm, since pieces of different sizes cook at different speeds. We don't trim off all the fat, as a little carries flavour. Taking the meat out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking helps the pan stay hot when it goes in.

How to make the beef tender

We use two stages. First, the beef goes into a dry, heavy pot over a high heat and cooks until the juices it releases have evaporated; this browns the meat and leaves a flavourful layer on the base. Then we add a little hot water, cover and simmer gently for 30–35 minutes.

We salt at the end and never overcrowd the pot. If a piece does not pull apart easily with a fork, we give it a few more minutes. With a pressure cooker, the browned beef needs about 15 minutes before it moves to the frying pan.

Why the mushrooms are seared separately

Cooked for a long time with the beef, mushrooms release their water, shrink and lose their texture. So we sear them in a separate frying pan over a high heat, in a single layer and without salt, until their liquid has evaporated and the edges are browned. Once the beef is tender, the mushrooms join the sauce for a few minutes.

It is the same method we use for our Turkish mushroom sauté. Chestnut mushrooms release less water and work especially well with beef.

Variations: in a clay pot, without paste, creamy

For a güveç version, we transfer the finished sauté to a clay pot, top it with tomato slices and, if you like, grated kashar cheese, and bake at 200 °C for 15–20 minutes. Without tomato paste, we double the fresh tomato for a lighter, fresher taste.

For a creamy version, we leave out the paste and tomato and, once the beef and mushrooms are ready, add a glass of cream and let it thicken for 3–4 minutes. If you prefer chicken, our chicken and mushroom sauté follows the same logic.

What to serve with it, and how to store it

Rice pilaf, bulgur pilaf, mashed potato and a yoghurt salad are the usual partners, just as in a Turkish lokanta. Mopping up the sauce with bread is part of the pleasure.

Once cool, put the sauté in the fridge within two hours; it keeps for two days in a covered container. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water until piping hot.

Frequently asked questions

Which cut of beef is best?

Topside, chuck or sirloin diced into 2 cm cubes. Lamb works too but needs a little less cooking time.

How do I keep the beef tender?

Brown it in its own juices, then simmer gently with a little water for 30–35 minutes. Salting at the end and not crowding the pan also help.

When should the mushrooms go in?

After the beef is tender, browned separately in a frying pan. Mushrooms simmered for a long time with the meat shrink and lose their texture.

Can I make it without tomato paste?

Yes. Skip the paste and double the fresh tomato for a lighter, fresher flavour.

Can I use a pressure cooker?

Yes. After browning, cook the beef for about 15 minutes under pressure, then add the mushrooms and vegetables in a frying pan.

What do you serve with et sote?

Rice pilaf, bulgur pilaf, mashed potatoes or a yoghurt salad, with bread to mop up the sauce.

How long does beef and mushroom sauté take?

About 65 minutes with prep: around 40 minutes for the beef to brown and become tender, and 10–15 minutes for the mushrooms and vegetables.

Can I bake it in a clay pot?

Yes. Transfer the finished sauté to a güveç or ovenproof dish, top with tomato and cheese if you like, and bake at 200 °C for 15–20 minutes.

Can I make it with lamb?

Yes. Lamb becomes tender faster, so shorten the gentle simmering by a few minutes.

How long does it keep in the fridge?

Put it in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking; it keeps for 2 days in a covered container. Reheat thoroughly in a pan.

Can I use minced beef instead?

Yes, though the method changes because mince cooks in minutes; see our Turkish mushroom and minced beef sauté.

How do you make a meat and mushroom stew?

As in this recipe, the diced meat cooks in its own juices until tender and the mushrooms go in later. For a saucier stew, add a cup of hot water at the end and simmer gently for 10 minutes, then serve it with rice like any Turkish pot dish.