Cretan Meat Pie Kreatotourta Recipes

CRETAN MEAT PIE (KREATOTOURTA)

Steps:

• Dough (traditional way): Put the water in a large bowl and sprinkle it with the yeast. When you see some small bubbles on the surface of the water, you know that the yeast is working. Add the salt and oil. Mix this into the water, and add about 3 cups of flour to make dough. Add enough flour to make smooth, elastic and not very sticky dough.
• Dough (with kneading machine): I throw everything in the kneading machine for 10 minutes and it works perfectly, but I cannot assure you that it would be the same for you.
• Let the dough rise a little before putting it in the baking dish (20 minutes is enough).
• With 1/2 of the dough, roll out a piece to line a 34 cm tin (2 cm for folding).
• Place it on the greased baking tray.
• Season it with salt, pepper and oregano, according to taste.
• Place the meat chunks on it evenly.
• Sprinkle the mizithra over the meat, so that it spreads evenly over the pie.
• Sprinkle the mint over the cheese.
• Roll out another piece of pastry with the remaining dough.
• Cover the pie with the dough and seal it around the edges.
• Make a small opening at the top and bottom of the top pastry sheet (to let out trapped air in the pie while cooking).
• Brush the pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seed all over it.
• Cook the pie in a moderate (180°C / 350°F) oven for approximately 45 minutes; only the pastry needs to be cooked, while the meat and mizithra cheese will amalgamate inside the pie with the heat.
• Note: I used lamb meat cooked with my mastelo Recipe #440773 and some of this juice. Just prepare more than for a single meal. This keeps in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days at least. After this time the juice will be a jelly. I cannot find mizithra here, but I get the Turkish "çökelek" (a skim-milk cheese precipitate) which is dryer than mizithra; for this reason I use more meat juice.

GREEK MEAT PIE (KREATOPITA)

Steps:

• Filling: Place sliced onion in a colander. Pour salted boiled water over them, rinse and drain well.
• Add onions to a coated pan and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add beef, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir well.
• Add 1/2 cup of water and boil until just the mixture is left.
• Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and cool.
• Prepare béchamel Sauce by melting butter in small pan whisk in flour and add hot milk. Whisk.
• Add 3 eggs, cheese, bread and béchamel sauce to the filling and set aside.
• Pastry: Combine the pastry ingredients, except for the egg yolk/milk, in a mixing bowl.
• Knead it into a pliable, non-sticky dough.
• Separate the dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other.
• Take the larger ball and roll out enough to more than cover your oven dish. Place it in a buttered pie pan, covering the bottom, and sides, going slightly over the edge at the top.
• Now place the filling on top of the crust and level it.
• Roll out the second dough ball and cover the filling.
• Butter the edge of the bottom crust and fold it over inwards to cover the edge of the top crust and make a border by pressing the edges with your fingertips.
• Mix the milk and egg yolk and brush the surface with the mixture.
• Poke a hole in the middle to allow the steam to escape and stick the rest of the pastry with a fork.
• Place in a preheated oven at 325F degrees for about 45 minutes, until it is golden brown.

KREATOPITA (GREEK MEAT PIE USING PHYLLO PASTRY)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, coat bottom of pan with olive oil and add ground beef (and mushrooms, if using). Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, and stirring often until meat and mushrooms are browned and liquid emitted has evaporated (make sure all the liquid has evaporated - you don't want a soggy pita!).
• Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, oregano and cinnamon and cook until liquid emitted from onions has evaporated, too.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times to bring hot filling up (to cool faster).
• Add cheese, parsley and eggs to meat filling and combine thoroughly to blend. Taste filling and adjust seasoning to suit your taste.
• In a 15 x 10 inch pan (or large pan), layer half the phyllo sheets, brushing each one generously with olive oil (use a pastry brush), before adding the next sheet of pastry.
• Pour the meat filling into the phyllo-lined pan.
• Layer the remaining phyllo sheets in the same way, over the filling, brushing each one generously with olive oil before adding the next sheet of pastry. When you reach the last sheet (the top one), brush this one slightly more generously than the rest, tuck in any overhang you have neatly into the pie and score pie, lengthwise, into 4, using the tip of a small, sharp knife and making sure you don't cut all the way through the bottom of the pastry (just the top crust and slightly into the filling).
• Position baking rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 190°C (375°F).
• Bring your pan next to the sink and run the cold water tap. Wet the tips of your fingers and shake the water onto the pastry. Do this a few times to ensure droplets of water fall all over the pastry (this ensures a crisp crust upon baking).
• Bake pie for approximately one hour, until you achieve a deep golden crust. If you have a flat-bottomed oven (no element), do put your pan on the floor of the oven for the last 20 minutes or so to ensure an even crisper bottom crust.
• The pita is best slightly warm or at room temperature.
• Enjoy!