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Recipe · Lamb

Lamb Börek ("Stuffed Snake")

An 18 by 13 inch (46 by 33 cm) half-sheet pan.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp ground clove
  • 1 cup (236 ml) tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup (75 g) toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup (75 g) dried cherries, roughly chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) plain kefir
  • 10 sheets frozen phyllo, thawed
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions

  1. Heat the oil over medium-high and brown the lamb, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the onion and cook about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and all the spices and cook about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the tomato puree, pine nuts, and cherries. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until the filling is mostly dry but still moist. Season and cool.
  4. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line the pan with parchment. Whisk the egg and kefir. Keep the phyllo under a damp towel.
  5. On a sheet of parchment, layer 5 phyllo sheets, brushing each with the egg-kefir mixture.
  6. Spread half the filling along the bottom quarter. Roll it up with the parchment, set it seam-down on the pan, and curl it into a loose coil.
  7. Repeat with the other 5 sheets. Join that roll to the end of the first and continue the coil.
  8. Brush with the melted butter. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until deep golden. Cool briefly.

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