Recipe
Ankara Tava is prepared using the shoulder and neck cuts of lamb, as these parts provide the desired tenderness. Beef, which has a firmer texture, is not preferred. In order to enhance flavor, the meat is first rested for a certain period. It is then sautéed with onions and tomatoes, with the addition of a small amount of salt, preferably in copper pans. After sautéing, the meat is transferred to an oven and cooked for approximately four hours. This oven-baking process is essential, as cooking solely on the stovetop does not allow the fat to adequately penetrate the meat. Once the meat is fully cooked, it is transferred into shallow pans, and rice is added directly into the meat juices. Butter is then drizzled over the mixture, which is rested for approximately five minutes before being returned to the oven. The dish is cooked for an additional 15–20 minutes, until the rice absorbs the liquid, and is served in copper pans. Historically, in the Beypazarı district, chickpeas were also added to Ankara Tava and the dish was served at wedding ceremonies. In contemporary production, the meat used for Ankara Tava is sourced from sheep and lambs raised in the districts of Çubuk, Beypazarı, Kalecik, Polatlı, and Haymana. The front shoulder and rib sections are carefully trimmed of sinew and excess fat and cut into appropriately sized portions. Following slaughter, the meat must be rested for a period of 2 to 4 days at 4°C. No marination or seasoning process is applied thereafter. Salt is added to the meat at a ratio of 1.0%–1.5%, and no other spices are used. A total of 1,200 grams of meat, portioned at 200 grams per serving, is arranged in a single layer in a tinned copper pan and cooked in a stone oven for approximately six hours at 200–250°C, using oak, hornbeam, and beech wood fires. The copper pan used for cooking the meat must be 5 cm in height and 50 cm in diameter, and must be tinned in compliance with the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Contact Materials and Articles. For the rice component of Ankara Tava, 3 kg of rice compliant with the Turkish Food Codex Rice Communiqué is carefully sorted. The rice is placed into a separate tinned copper pan, also measuring 5 cm in height and 50 cm in diameter, and compliant with the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Contact Materials and Articles. A total of 250 grams of butter is added, followed by 6 kg of previously prepared meat broth, maintaining a ratio of one measure of rice to two measures of broth. Salt is added at a ratio of 1.0%–1.5%, and the rice is cooked for approximately 25 minutes in a stone oven heated with oak, hornbeam, and beech wood fires