The savory savory Turkish pastry known as börek can have many different fillings, including potatoes, cheese and ground meats. This version uses ground beef which, along with lamb, is a popular meat to use. Turks typically have börek with ayran (a yogurt drink) or tea, and it can be a breakfast, snack or part of a mezze platter. But take advantage of them as an a terrific appetizer, or even as a light main course. This coiled pastry is traditionally made with yufka dough, an unleavened wheat-flour dough that’s slightly thicker than phyllo sheets. Since yufka is not widely available, phyllo sheets are an excellent alternative and are used in this recipe.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
- 1 box frozen phyllo dough (15 to 18 sheets), thawed
- Sesame seeds and nigella seeds or black sesame seeds, for topping
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking the meat up with a spatula, until completely browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Aleppo pepper, if using, and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add 1/2 cup water and let the mixture simmer until the water has completely evaporated, about 15 minutes. Let the filling cool to room temperature. Season with more salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Meanwhile, make the basting sauce by whisking the milk, eggs and neutral oil together in a medium bowl. Unwrap and unroll the phyllo dough and cover the sheets with a kitchen towel to keep them from drying out.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the bottom of a round 16-inch baking pan (see Cook’s Note) with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Take 2 phyllo sheets and place them on top of each other in front of you on a clean work surface. Brush the top sheet with the milk mixture. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of the filling across the bottom (the longer side) of the phyllo and roll up, enclosing the filling. Make sure you’re not rolling too tightly or loosely. Twist the log into a spiral and transfer it to the center of the prepared pan. Repeat the steps to make another log and coil that log around the spiral you already have in the pan. Repeat these steps to make the spiral larger and larger until you run out of phyllo dough and/or filling.
- Brush the coil liberally with the remaining milk mixture and top it with sesame seeds and nigella seeds. Bake until the top is golden and crispy, about 35 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 476 |
| Total Fat | 35 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Cholesterol | 90 mg |
| Sodium | 413 mg |