Syrian Meat Pies Food

LEBANESE MEAT PIES (SFEEHA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450ºF.
• Cut the pizza dough into 8 pieces, form the pieces into balls, cover and let sit.
• Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat, onion, and pine nuts and cook until the meat is browned and the onions are transparent.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, stir until completely combined, and remove from heat. Taste and add more tomato paste or seasonings if needed. Set aside.
• To form the pies: Flatten a ball of dough into a disk. Roll out into a circle about 6" wide and 1/8" thick.
• Place some of the filling - about 1/4 cup - into the center of the dough.
• Fold the edges of the dough over the filling into a triangle, pinching the seams to seal them and leaving a small opening in the center. (You can also fold it into a square, or spread the filling out to the edges and leave the pies flat.).
• Place the pies on a lightly-oiled baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the dough has started to brown.

MEDITERRANEAN MEAT PIES (SFEEHA)

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef and ground lamb, chopped onion, pine nuts, cinnamon, and salt and black pepper. Cook and stir until the meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease.
• Stir in the lemon juice; taste and adjust the seasonings, and let the meat mixture cool.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
• Roll out the thawed pastry sheets to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a sharp 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out at least 9 rounds per sheet. Lightly brush the inside edges with a little water, and place about 2 teaspoons of filling into the middle of each round. Fold the pastry round in half to cover the filling and seal the edges well. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough circles.
• Brush each pie with a little egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

SWEDISH MEAT PIES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble in the ground beef and add onion, parsley, allspice, dill, nutmeg and grated potatoes. Cook and stir until the meat is browned. Drain any excess grease. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Mix in the shortening with a fork or pastry cutter until only pea sized lumps remain. Stir in sour cream a little bit at a time until the dough holds together. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. Divide into four equal portions, and pat into balls. (If making 4, these are very large - could easily be made into 6 or even 8 meat pies.).
• Roll out each ball of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Place a heaping 1/2 cup of filling onto each one. Fold over into half circles, and seal by moistening the edges with warm water and pressing together. Place on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.