Albanian Byrek Food

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.

ALBANIAN BYREK

Steps:

• Prepare the dough with flour, 1 and a half cups of cold water, 1 spoon of oil, 1 spoon of vinegar and half a teaspoon of salt, so that the dough may obtain average solidity.
• Press and mix the dough well, then divide in two equally sized pieces. Then divide the pieces into 10-12 ball shaped pieces.
• Spread the balls in well-shaped circles of the size of a plate. Place the circle-shaped dough on top of one another so as to obtain two large pies.
• Cover each pie with melted butter and leave for about half an hour to 1 hour.
• During this time wash a bowl of spinach, dock or sorrel, cut thin, add salt and leave in salt for about 15-20 minutes, then squash.
• Mix the spinach, dock or sorrel with half to 1 cup yogurt and 2-3 eggs.
• You can replace the yogurt with crumbled feta cheese. Cover the baking pan with melted butter.
• Spread one of the dough pies to cover the entire pan and gently pull up the ends, then sprinkle melted butter on it and spread the spinach on it uniformly.
• Spread the second dough pie on top of the spinach.
• Cut the byrek in square slices, sprinkle with melted butter and place in a hot oven until cooked.
• Byrek is served hot accompanied with yogurt.

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.