Happy very belated new year everyone! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. As we are finally starting to settle into 2024, we are ready to post our latest recipe!
The holidays are normally a time to travel and gather with friends and family from near and far. However, for Chris and I, we enjoy the opposite, and just take this time to relax and de-stress. This does not mean that we do nothing for the holidays. Like everyone else we have our own holiday traditions. For us, this means cooking a special meal and making gingerbread cookies.
This year, our special meal was Turkish Börek! Unlike the other recipes we have posted, this is not a traditional family recipe that has been passed down over time. It is just a recipe that I have adapted over the years and have been passing it to family and friends. I have made this börek on numerous occasions and if you love a savory meat pie, you definitely need to try this.
For our version of börek, we use ground beef, feta cheese, and sweet peppers, but this is a super adaptable recipe. You can easily swap out the different ingredients to make your own version.
Now, I would not say that this recipe is difficult, but it can be pretty time consuming, especially if you have never worked with phyllo dough. So, please keep that in mind when preparing to make this.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients
To make the börek you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 lbs. Ground beef
- 1 lb sweet peppers, seeded and diced
- 16 oz package of phyllo dough
- 8 oz feta cheese, cut into small cubes
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk or unsweetened plant-based milk (we used almond milk)
- 6 tablespoons canola oil or coconut oil, plus extra for sautéing
- Salt and pepper to taste
Kitchen Tools
And also the following kitchen tools:
- 13 in. x 9 in. baking dish
- Large sauté pan
- Slotted spoon
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Paper towels
- Whisk (optional)
- Basting brush (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200° – 205°C).
Heat oil in the sauté pan over moderate heat. Once heated, add the peppers and season with salt and pepper. Stirring frequently, cook until the peppers have softened.
Add the ground beef to the sautéed peppers and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until beef is fully cooked through.
Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
Step 2
Line the bottom of your large mixing bowl with paper towels. Using the slotted spoon, remove beef mixture from the sauté pan to the mixing bowl. Try to keep any excess liquid out of the mixing bowl. Once all the mixture has been transferred, remove and discard the paper towel.
In your medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil.
Step 3
Grease the baking dish with cooking spray or lightly oil. Line the dish with layers of phyllo dough, making sure the dough overhangs over the sides of the dish.*
Brush the egg mixture along the bottom of the dish. Next, spoon half of the meat mixture into the dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the feta cheese cubes over the layer of meat mixture and cover with about 5-7 sheets of the phyllo dough with some overhanging over the edge of the dish.
Step 4
Brush more of the egg mixture over the dough. Spoon and spread the remaining meat mixture into an even layer and then sprinkle the remaining feta over the top. Cover with 5 sheets of phyllo.
Fold the overhanging phyllo onto the top of the börek and then top with another 5 sheets of phyllo. Generously brush more of the egg mixture over the top of the börek making sure to get all the corners and crevices.
Step 5
Place the börek into the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and sizzling.
Cut into squares and serve!
*Please note: The pre-cut phyllo dough sheets will not cover the entire dish, so you will need to piece it together like a puzzle. Also when working with phyllo dough I usually grab a group of 3 to 5 sheets of the dough at a time since the sheets are very thin and can rip easily. You may end up with excess phyllo, but feel free to add it to the top of the börek after adding the second layer of meat and cheese. You can never have enough phyllo dough in my opinion.
This recipe was inspired by Scott Conant’s Turkish Borek recipe from the Food Network.