Albanian Meat Pie Recipes

BUREK

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Brown ground beef in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat; stir in allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Transfer beef to a large bowl and stir in potato and onion.
• Unroll phyllo pastry and transfer 2 sheets to a work surface; stack sheets. Spoon 1/8th of the ground beef mixture down one long edge of the phyllo pastry. Roll phyllo into a tube, encasing beef. Shape the tube into a coil (snail shape). Place the roll on an ungreased baking sheet; brush with melted butter. Repeat, placing finished rolls up against one another to keep them from unrolling.
• Bake burek in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

PITE ME MISH

Steps:

• First prepare the minced meat stuffing.
• In a saucepan, add the olive oil and heat slightly.
• Add the onions and fry until golden brown.
• Add the potato, salt, pepper, and mix well.
• Brown, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
• Add the minced meat and paprika and mix well.
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper again and mix well.
• Cook covered and over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the grated potato is cooked, the tomatoes are dissolved and the entire mass is transformed into a fairly compact mixture - about 15 minutes.
• At the end of cooking, increase the heat to reduce the liquid, if necessary.
• Set aside and let cool completely.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and salt.
• Start kneading with the hook attachment, incorporating the hot but not boiling water gradually.
• Knead until obtaining a compact dough.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
• Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
• Divide the first dough piece into 8 small pieces and form balls. Do the same with the second dough piece.
• Flatten each ball very thinly, like a sheet of paper, into a circle about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. The dough circles must be transparent.
• Place the dough circles thus obtained on a work surface sprinkled with cornstarch and sprinkle each circle of dough with cornstarch as well.
• Brush a high edge round mold with olive oil.
• Brush 8 circles of phyllo dough sheets with olive oil and place them one on top of the other as you go along on the bottom of the pan.
• Spread the meat on top.
• Cover with the other 8 sheets of dough following the same procedure as the first 8 sheets.
• Fold the edges of the upper sheets under the lower sheets.
• Brush the surface of the pie with olive oil.
• Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 30 minutes.

ALBANIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• In a saucepan add the olive oil and fry the onions for 2 minutes before adding the mince and browning.
• Add the tomotoe puree, salt, pepper, paprika, potatoes and beef stock. Bring to the boil, leave to simmer for 10 minutes/ When the mixture has thickered and water boiled away turn off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
• If using homemade pastry, place a filo pastry disc in a large baking tray and add filling on top the add the second disc on top and seal the edges by tucking them down.
• For premade pastry, layer sheets of filo pastry on top of each other brushing a layer of olive oil after each one before the next one is place down. Once 6/8 sheet are laid add the filling on top. Repeat the layering until a further 6/8 sheets are on top of the filling - olive oil brushed on each one.
• Put a thin layer of oil over the top.
• Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown.
• Once removed from the oven, pour half a cup of water over the top and half a cup of water around the edges. Cover the meat byrek with two tea towels and leave to stand for 1 hour before serving. You can skip this step if you prefer a crisper pie.

ALBANIAN SPINACH PIE (BYREK ME SPINAQ OR PITE)

Steps:

• (NOTE: A round cake or pie pan is recommended because it's more authentic but any similar sized pan will do).
• Brush the pan with some of the oil, and start laying the filo leaves inside. First, lay two leaves, sprinkle or brush with oil, then lay two other leaves, and repeat the procedure until HALF of the leaves are laid. Make sure that they cover the pan by hanging them about one inch over the edges of the pan. Change directions, so that the entire pan is evenly covered.
• Sprinkle spinach with salt, then mix well by hand. Let sit for a minute.
• Add the feta cheese, onions, eggs and stir.
• Spread spinach mixture over the filo leaves in the pan.
• Cover the spinach with the rest of the pastry leaves repeating the first-half procedure.
• Roll the hanging edges of the bottom leaves over the pie (think of a pizza crust), sprinkle top with oil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot.

ALBANIAN COURGETTE PIE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl mix together the grated courgettes, sugar, eggs and baking soda. Add the flour and continue to mix, you are looking for a thick sticky mixture.
• In a large round baking tray (about 2 inches deep) rub some olive oil over the base and edges.
• Scoop the mixture onto the tray and spread out evenly, then pour a small amount of olive oil onto you hand and rub it in circles gently over the top of the mixture. This should flatten it and leave it with a slightly shiny glossing.
• Bake in the oven for 40 minutes on 180 degrees - the top should be a golden brown once cooked.

ALBANIAN VEGETABLE PIE

Steps:

• Use a medium-sized round baking pan.
• Brush the baking pan with some of the oil.
• Start laying the pastry leaves inside.
• First, lay two leaves, sprinkle or brush with oil, then lay two other leaves, and repeat the procedure until half of the leaves are used.
• Make sure that they overlap the edges of the pan by about 1 inch.
• Sprinkle spinach with salt (optional), and mix well by hand.
• Add the feta cheese, oil, onions, eggs and salt (optional)
• Spread the mixture over the already laid pastry leaves.
• Cover the spinach with the rest of the pastry leaves repeating the first-half procedure.
• Roll the hanging edges of the bottom leaves over the pie (like a pizza crust).
• Sprinkle top with oil
• Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Serve hot, accompanied with buttermilk, or beaten yogurt, thinned down in cold water or with chilled stewed prunes.

ITALIAN-CANADIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place a skillet over medium heat; cook the ground pork in the skillet with the fennel seed, red pepper flakes, and salt until completely browned, breaking the pork into small pieces as it cooks. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
• Combine the ground pork, eggs, Asiago cheese, and bread crumbs in a large bowl; use your hands to mix thoroughly.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the prepared pastries. Fill the pie with the pork mixture. Place the remaining pastry over the pie and press the edges together to seal. Be sure to cut steam vents into the top pastry.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue cooking until the pastry is browned and the filling is bubbling a bit, another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the pie to cool 5 to 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

ARMENIAN MEAT PIES

Steps:

• Bread dough equivalent to four loaves (I use the Rhodes pre-made dough).
• Let bread dough rise as if you are going to bake it. Plan ahead, if using frozen dough, this could take 6-8 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degree F.
• Mix the raw hamburger, tomatoes, chopped green pepper and parsley together. You can mix by hand or with a mixer. Add the allspice, red pepper, garlic and salt.
• Pull off chunks of bread dough to form 1 1/2 to 2 inch diameter balls. Roll flat - about 1/4 inch thick. They should look like little pizza crusts.
• Place two to three bread crusts on a cookie sheet, and spread about 1/4 c to 1/3 c of the meat mixture on each unbaked crust.
• Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the meat isn't red and the bread is golden brown. You can bake 2 pans at once, but may need to rotate them.
• Eat hot.
• These freeze and reheat really well.

CEPHALONIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the dough placing flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in 1/3 cup olive oil, white wine, water, and salt. Mix together with your hands for a few minutes to form a smooth dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while proceeding with recipe.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Stir in the lamb and pork; increase heat to medium-high and continue cooking until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste until the meat is covered. Stir in white wine, and simmer for 1 minute. Pour in water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
• When the meat is done, remove from the heat and allow to cool while preparing crust.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly brush a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with olive oil.
• Divide the dough into two pieces, with one piece larger than the other. Roll out the large piece on a floured surface until it is large enough to fit the bottom of the baking dish and come up the sides of the pan; press into the baking dish. Roll out the smaller piece of dough into a rectangle to use as the top crust; set aside.
• Stir Kefalotiri cheese, potato, and rice into meat mixture. Season with parsley, mint, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Add egg and mix until well combined. Pour this mixture into the baking dish and top with remaining piece of dough. Brush the top with a little water and olive oil.
• Bake pie in preheated oven for 1 hour until deep golden brown.