BUREK (MEAT PASTRY) PITA
It truly is what's on the 'inside' that counts! You can't miss trying this meat pastry when in the Balkans. Why? Well, not only is it super delicious but it's on every corner and most likely on every menu at a restaurant. This meat pastry is referred to as a sort of 'Pita'. They fillings vary from meat, cheese, spinach, zucchini, pumpkin, and potato.
The phyllo dough can be bought in stores and pre-made. However, the best pita is made with homemade phyllo dough. At first, it can be quite difficult to learn to make the phyllo dough but practice makes perfect.
Below is my recipe:
Homemade Phyllo Dough:
3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup olive oil
Meat Filling:
1 ½ lbs of ground meat
1 tablespoon Vegeta
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped onion
Prepare Phyllo Dough
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt
2. Add water a little at a time, mixing with your hands until it forms a dough
3. Knead the dough for about five minutes until it is no longer stick and feels stretchy
4. Roll the dough over flour and split the dough into two or three batches
5. Knead each roll of dough until you form a ball
6. Add a bit of olive oil to each dough ball and cover. Let sit for 30 minutes on the side.
7. Add a sheet over your work space and drizzle flour.
8. Transfer a dough ball to the floured space and flatten the piece until it reaches a thickness of no more than half a centimeter.
9. Using a rolling pin, continue to flatten the dough.
10. Add some more olive oil to both sides and put to the side on a plate.
11. Repeat for all three dough balls.
12. After about 30 minutes, take one stretched dough and using your hands stretch the dough across your hands.
13. Place the dough on your table and take one side of the dough and stretch it outwards. Do the same for the other side. You might end up with a few holes but that’s normal, don’t worry. Stretch the dough out until you can see through the dough.
14. Stretch out until you form a rectangular shape.
15. Once stretched out, drizzle olive oil over the stretch dough evenly.
16. Then add the meat filling to two sides (the longer sides).
17. Fold over the edges of the dough and roll to the center.
18. Add one of the pieces of rolled dough into the pan forming a circle, and then add the second one on the outer. Continue doing this until the pan is full.
19. Put the pan in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes on 425F or until the burek has reached a golden color.
20. Remove from oven and let the burek cool down.
Meat Filling
1. Take a large bowl and add your meat mixture.
2. Then add vegeta, salt, pepper, minced garlic, chopped onion.
3. Mix very well.
4. You can prepare this the night before or day of.