Borek is a type of pasty found in Turkey, the Balkans, West Asia, North Africa, and several other cuisines. It’s made with filo dough or other thin, flaky crusts and stuffed with meats, cheese, potatoes, or spinach. This recipe uses two separate fillings, one spiced beef, and the other salty feta. It’s arranged in a beautiful spiral shape and served in wedges. Each piece should have two meat sections and one cheese.
On the Ingredients
- Phyllo, also called fillo or filo, is very thin, unleavened dough made from flour, water, and a small amount of oil. It’s used widely in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine. In the US, it’s probably best known for making baklava and Spanakopita. Because the sheets themselves are vegan, it’s a great alternative to puff pastry for many recipes, especially appetizers. Generally, the sheets are stuck together using butter or oil. After baking, it becomes extremely crisp and flaky.
- Feta is a brined sheep milk cheese from Greece. It has a soft, crumbly texture and salty flavor. Because it is made with sheep milk, feta is very low in lactose, making it a safer choice for people suffering from lactose intolerance. Though feta may also be made with a mixture of sheep and goat milk, it cannot be made with more than 30% goat milk. (Read more about feta).
- Pomegranate molasses, also called Dibs Ar-rumman, is a sweet condiment seasoning made from concentrated pomegranate juice. It’s used in Middle Eastern cuisine, usually for fish or meat dishes or as a salad dressing. It’s generally concentrated to half the juice’s starting volume and lightly seasoned with spices.
Borek (Savory Filo Pastry)
8
servings20
minutes1
hour10
minutes1
hour30
minutesBorek is a type of pasty found in Turkey, the Balkans, West Asia, North Africa, and several other cuisines. It's made with filo dough or other thin, flaky crusts and stuffed with meats, cheese, potatoes, or spinach. This recipe uses two separate fillings, one spiced beef, and the other salty feta. It's arranged in a beautiful spiral shape and served in wedges. Each piece should have two meat sections and one cheese.
Ingredients
- Beef Filling
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions (diced)
1 lb beef
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1/2 black pepper
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Feta Filling
10oz feta
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
- Other ingredients
1 box phyllo (filo) dough
1 stick of butter melted
1 egg
sesame seeds
Directions
- Make sure your phyllo is thawed using the method on the box.
- Heat a skillet over a medium flame and add the olive oil and onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Add the ground beef and break it into small pieces as you sauté. Add the spices, salt, pepper, and pomegranate molasses. Cook until the meat is cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow the meat to cool.
- Mix together the feta filling ingredients.
- When the meat is cooled, preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Unroll the phyllo sheets and cover with a damp towel so they don't dry out.
- Place a sheet of phyllo horizontally on the counter and brush it with melted butter. Place another sheet on top and brush it, then a third. There will be three layers in total.
- Scoop 1/3 of the meat mixture onto the phyllo in a line at the bottom of the sheets. Carefully roll the filling up in the phyllo, making a log shape.
- Move the log to the cooking sheet and carefully curl it into a spiral. It may tear a little, but that's okay.
- Repeat the layering process for another three sheets with butter between. Add the feta filling in a line on the bottom of the sheets, leaving about two inches before the ends because it will spread when rolled. Roll it up to form a log, careful not to squeeze too much.
- Transfer the log to the baking sheet and use it to continue the spiral shape.
- Repeat with the meat mixture for two more logs, using them to build the spiral until it's made with four sections (3 meat, 1 feta). Brush the spiral with butter, using the butter to help seal the seams.
- Beat the eggs and brush the pastry with it thoroughly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 35-50 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.
