Turkish-Style Lamb Boreks
These irresistible savory pastries go by many names throughout the Middle East. In Turkey, they are called boreks and the best ones have a beguiling, complex filling that features salty, sweet and sour elements. If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, substitute lemon juice and honey, and maybe a splash of sweet vinegar. It’s easy to cut these large boreks into two, three or four pieces, for feeding a crowd.
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for brushing phyllo dough
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1pound ground lamb
- Salt and pepper
- ½teaspoon cinnamon
- ½teaspoon toasted ground cumin
- ⅛teaspoon cayenne, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1tablespoon sumac powder
- 1tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- ½cup golden raisins
- ¼cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 4ounces feta cheese, crumbled or mashed with a fork
- 1cup thick plain Greek-style yogurt or drained whole milk yogurt, preferably quite tangy
- Salt and pepper
- 1egg, lightly beaten
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1tablespoon roughly chopped fresh mint
- 1teaspoon crumbled dried mint
- 16phyllo dough sheets, 18 by 14 inches
- 1egg, well beaten
- 3tablespoons sesame, nigella or poppy seeds
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the meat filling: Place a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter. When oil and butter are hot, add onions and cook briskly, stirring, until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add lamb to onions and break into rough pieces with a wooden spoon, mashing occasionally, until lamb is crumbly and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.Step 2
Season mixture generously with salt and pepper, then add cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and sumac. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes more, stirring. Raise heat as necessary to let mixture brown well. Stir in pomegranate molasses, raisins and pine nuts. Taste and adjust seasoning, then set aside to cool.Step 3
Prepare the cheese filling: Put feta and yogurt in a bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper, whisk in beaten egg, then stir in parsley, fresh mint and dried mint.Step 4
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble boreks one at a time: Lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface. Brush very lightly with olive oil. Carefully place another phyllo sheet directly on top and brush with oil. Fold this doubled sheet in half, to form a rectangle 9 by 14 inches. Position it so the 9-inch end is facing you.Step 5
Spoon 3 tablespoons cheese filling over surface of rectangle, smearing with the back of a spoon to cover, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle 1/4 cup lamb mixture in a 2-inch ribbon along the edge closest to you.Step 6
Fold over long sides of pastry an inch or so to help contain filling. Lift edge and loosely roll up pastry away from you, as if rolling up a carpet. Brush pastry lightly with oil as you proceed. The result should look like a flat cigar, about 3 inches wide and about 8 inches long. Continue to assemble remaining boreks.Step 7
Transfer pastries to a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them 1 inch apart. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame, nigella or poppy seeds. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.