Lebanese Beef Fatayer A Middle Eastern Meat Pie Food

FATAYER (LEBANESE MEAT PIES)

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add steak pieces, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper and cook until steak is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Pat bread dough on a lightly floured surface into 4- to 5-inch rounds. Place about 2 tablespoons meat mixture on each dough round. Fold dough over the mixture to make a triangle. Pinch the edges of the dough together but make sure to leave the very center of the meat pie unsealed so steam can escape while cooking. Set on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and meat mixture and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake fatayer in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

LEBANESE BEEF FATAYER | A MIDDLE EASTERN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350F.
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and cook onions for one minute.
• Add meat and salt and break up into small pieces. Continue to cook over medium heat uncovered until cooked through.
• Add garlic and spices, stir and cook for one more minute. Add catsup and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Remove pizza dough from packaging and roll out thinly on a floured surface. Use a small 6 inch bowl to make a template into the dough. Cut circles out with a sharp knife. Dust well with flour and stack in a pile for easier assembly.
• In a small bowl add egg and water and whisk with a fork until combined, set aside.
• In each circle add 2-3 Tbs of filling. Brush the edge of the dough with the egg wash and start the fold. Fold two sides about 1/3 of the way, pinching the sides closed as you go. Then take the middle of the remaining side and bring toward the pinched edge making two new seams. Pinch the two new seams closed.
• Place all on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.
• Brush all over with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (white or black).
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the baking sheet around half way through cooking.
• Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BEEF FATAYER

Steps:

• 1. SPINACH FILLING DIRECTIONS: 1. Thaw the spinach and then cut up and wash it and make sure to drain it very well!! This is a VERY important step, you do not want to keep any liquid from the spinach, it needs to be water-free! 2. Add chopped onion (since I'm not a huge onion fan, we'll go with 1 large onion, maybe a little more) 3. Add lemon to taste ( I prefer it tart, so aim for 1 large lemon per lb. of spinach = 2 lemons for this) 4. Add oil to the mix 5. Add salt, pepper and a little bit of sumac Mix together to get something similar to a 'paste' ASSEMBLE AND MAKE TRIANGLES: Pinch off about 2 1/2″ balls of dough and roll out into a 4″ circle. Put a heaping tablespoon of the spinach filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up from the bottom to the middle and bring in sides to the center to form a triangle. Press down on the seams firmly and pinch ends together. Place the fatayer on a cookie sheet that has been brushed with butter or olive oil and place the pies on the tray. Brush the tops with oil and put in a preheated 500 degree oven for 15 minutes or until a little brown.
• 2. MEAT FILLING DIRECTIONS: Mix all above ingredients together Instead of making into triangles, you will make squares. Just add a tablespoon of the mixture to the middle of the square dough and pinch each side of the edge to hold the meat. Put on a greased cookie sheet and bake on 500 for 15 minutes.