Turkish Beef with Peppers and Tomatoes

Saç kavurma is a Turkish dish of meat, typically lamb, quickly cooked with peppers, tomatoes and a few fragrant spices. A saç is a wide metal pan shaped like a gently sloped wok in which the dish is cooked and served; kavurma refers to the cooking method of frying or sautéing. For our version of the dish, we use a standard 12-inch skillet in place of a saç, beef flat iron steak instead of lamb, and widely available pepper varieties rather than Turkish green peppers (which are difficult to source in the U.S.). The recipe otherwise is based on the saç kavurma we tasted at Palamut restaurant, owned by Ali Osman Öztürk, in Söğüt, Turkey. The meat cooks quickly so it remains tender, and the peppers retain some of the crispness, while the fresh tomatoes break down just enough to create a light sauce that pools at the bottom. A combination of sweet paprika and mildly spicy, slightly smoky Aleppo pepper brings earthy flavor and a warm red hue, and a little butter pulls together all the flavors while adding a touch of richness. Serve with warmed flatbread or with rice pilaf.