Lebanese Meat Fatayer/ Lebanese Meat Turnovers
Description
Meat Fatayer are at their most irresistible when served warm, fresh from the oven. The pastry is beautifully golden and tender, while the savory, richly seasoned meat filling is juicy, aromatic, and wonderfully comforting. That first warm bite is especially decadent, though they are just as delicious and commonly enjoyed at room temperature.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 –3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1¼ cups whole milk or slightly less
For the Filling
- 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz ground lamb or beef
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large tomatoes peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Start making the dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, active dry yeast, sugar, salt, and oil. Add the lukewarm milk and mix well.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and uniform. Slam it against the countertop a couple of times before covering it with cling film. This helps strengthen the gluten in the flour, resulting in a light and fluffy dough. Watch the video for guidance.Set aside for 1½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- In the meantime, prepare the meat filling. Heat a skillet over high heat and lightly coat it with oil. Add the mground meat, breaking it into large pieces, and let it brown for several minutes.Stir in the chopped onions and season with cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, if using. Add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. The salt will help the tomatoes release their juices while also intensifying their flavor.Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked and most of the moisture has evaporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference—you don’t want a bland filling!Set the filling aside to cool completely. Using a warm filling can cause the fatayer to unravel during baking. For best results, refrigerate the filling for at least 6 hours or, preferably, overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F. Place the rack in the center of the oven.
- When the dough has doubled in size, flour a countertop and divide the dough into equal balls, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball or slightly smaller.
- Roll each piece of dough with a rolling pin into a round circle about 1/3 cm (3–4 mm) thick—it should be quite thin. Lightly flour the countertop and rolling pin as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
- I will show you three attractive ways to shape meat fatayer:
- The first method is somewhat of a work of art! Place a spoonful of filling in the center of a round piece of dough. Crimp and pleat the dough over the filling, alternating between the left and right sides. Make sure to seal it well. Watch the video tutorial for a step-by-step demonstration!
- The second is the crescent-shaped pocket fatayer, which looks like an empanada. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the center of the round dough. Fold the dough in half to form a half-moon, then pinch the edges together. Press and twist the edges of the dough to seal.Watch the video tutorial!
- And finally, the most common way to shape fatayer is the pyramid-shaped triangle that you’ve probably seen before. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the center of the dough circle. Lift the edges of the circle up and bring them together toward the center. Seal the fatayer by pinching the edges firmly together, forming a pyramid shape.Make sure your fatayer are well sealed; otherwise, they may unfold while baking! Watch the video tutorial to see exactly how it’s done.
- Lightly grease two large baking sheets with oil, then place the meat fatayer on the greased sheets. Make sure to leave enough space between each fatayer.
- Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
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