Turkish-Style Lamb Boreks
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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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 ½ 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
For the Meat Filling
For the Cheese Filling
For Assembly
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
506 calories; 31 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 544 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- 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 ½-inch border. Sprinkle ¼ 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.
Private Notes
Comments
You can use mashed potatoes instead. I am Turkish and that is a very common substitute.
Or use a mixture of cooked green lentils and potatoes - this one makes the texture similar to meat as well.
The article should have given more info about working with phyllo. You need a slightly damp dish towel large enough to cover the phyllo sheets once you open the package. You keep them covered with the towel until you are ready to use a sheet, then immediately re-cover the remainder to keep them from drying out. Once you get the hang of doing that, it's a lot easier and less stressful.
For a vegetarian option, brown 1/2 chopped onion and 1 clove garlic, add 1 pkg (or one bunch) chopped spinach and saute until fairly dry. Let cool and then mix in ricotta cheese to taste. Add some toasted pine nuts. Use to fill boreks.
Up the cinnamon and Sumac
Loved the lamb mixture. Couldn’t find golden raisins (which is a shame, I love them!) so I substituted those with chopped Turkish apricots. My brain broke with filo instructions, so I made them into the still traditional pinwheel shape. Dusted the tops with sesame and cumin seeds.
The only change I made was subbing in dried sour cherries for the raisins. My entire family went nuts for them. So worth the time.
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