Börek with ground beef & feta

My current favourite way of enjoying börek.

On the streets of Istanbul, a börek bakery is never far away.

Their presence is in fact a relic of Ottoman times. The cooks of the palace kitchens were highly specialised, and when they all became unemployed at the collapse of the empire, they continued their skill in the private market. The meatball makers started small köfte eateries, the baklava makers dessert shops, and the börek makers – you guessed it – börek bakeries.

Börek is a stuffed savoury pastry that’s popular across much of formerly Ottoman lands. It’s a delectable treat, but – unfortunately – many of today’s börek bakeries use cheap fats and are stingy with their fillings. There are, of course, exceptions. But all too often, börek on the go is a greasy and plain affair.

So while there’s börek to be had on virtually every corner of Istnabul, I find myself walking past them all, opting instead to make my own at home. Much tastier!

There are a myriad of varieties, but these days I find myself obsessed with kol böreği, which translates as “arm börek”. It’s basically long and crispy börek rolls, squeezed up next to each other like an advanced game of snake.

Since this shape holds the filling well, it’s excellent for meat fillings. The traditional versions are simple, with little more to it than minced meat, onions and a generous pinch or two of black pepper. I like adding feta cheese and parsley to mine, for an extra flavour oomph.

Shaping it is easy. Just wet the pastry, put on some filling and roll it up. I’ve included pictures below the recipe for guidance.

It’s best to use the larger sheets of filo pastry known in Turkish as böreklik yufka when making savoury börek. These are large and circular, weighing in at around 150 grams (5 oz) each. Check your favourite Middle Eastern grocer – they might stock it!

If you can only find the much thinner, rectangular filo pastry that is often more commonly available in Western countries, you may use those too, though the end result will be a lot crumblier. i therefore recommend adding a little milk to the liquid mixture to offset some of this. Cooking times may also differ. Please see the notes below the recipe if this is what you’ll be using.

Serve the börek still warm, with a generous dollop of Greek or Turkish style yoghurt and fresh salad of your choice. And why not a glass of ayran?

Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!

Vidar 🧿

Börek with Minced Meat & Feta Cheese (Kıymalı Peynirli Kol Böreği)

Lunch or dinner | Turkish inspired | 1 hour 15 minutes | Serves 6

Ingredients

3 pcs large filo pastry (böreklik yufka) (c. 450 g/1 lb), see notes if using thin, rectangular filo pastry (baklavalık yufka)
egg wash, made from 1 egg beaten with 2 tsp water
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp black seeds (nigella seeds), or sesame seeds

Meat & feta filling

2 Tbsp olive oil (I use a mild extra virgin)
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
400 g minced beef (ground beef) (14 oz)
1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper), or other chilli flakes, to taste
½ tsp dried oregano
100 g feta cheese (3 ½ oz)
10 g (a handful) flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Liquid mixture

100 ml olive oil (just over ⅓ cup)
200 ml sparkling water (¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp)
(if using thin filo pastry only: 100 ml milk)

How I make it (quick version)

1. Soften onion in olive oil and butter. Add minced meat, then chilli flakes and oregano. Cool, then mix in feta and parsley.

2. Whisk together olive oil and sparkling water.

3. Cut the filo pastry in half, then moisten, add filling and roll up. Place in greased 34×24 cm (13×9 in) baking dish.

4. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with seeds.

5. Bake at 180°C (350°F) until golden, 35–45 minutes.

How I make it

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), conventional setting. Grease a 34×24 cm (13×9 in) baking dish with olive oil.

2. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onion with a little salt in olive oil and butter, stirring regularly to prevent burning, until soft but not coloured, 8–10 minutes or more.

3. Add the minced meat (ground beef), salt and pepper. Break up the meat and cook through, 4–6 minutes. Stir in the pul biber (Aleppo pepper) and oregano. Cook for another minute or two, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix in the feta cheese and parsley. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

4. Whisk together the olive oil and sparkling water for the liquid mixture. It will separate, so keep the whisk nearby and whisk again before each use.

5. Cut each filo pastry sheet in half. Brush the entire surface with about 3 Tbsp of the liquid mixture. Place about 1⁄6 of the filling in a thin line along the cut edge, leaving a few centimetres (1–1½ inch) at the ends. Fold the pastry over the filling—first from the long side, then from the left and right hand side to close. Roll up tightly to the end. Place the rolled börek in the baking dish, arranging them as shown in pictures. Repeat until you've used all of the filo pastry and filling. (See pictures below for visual cues, and see notes below if using rectangular, thin filo pastry.)

6. Pour the remaining liquid mixture over and between the börek. Don't forget the parts between each roll! Brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and nigella seeds.

7. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden, 35–45 minutes.

8. Serve the börek warm.

Notes

I strongly recommend using the large, circular filo pastry made specifically for börek when making this dish. It’s most often sold as böreklik yufka. Each piece weighs around 150 grams.

If all you can get are the thin, rectangular filo pastry sheets meant for baklava, do as follows for steps 4 and 5:

4. Whisk together the olive oil, milk and sparkling water for the liquid mixture. It will separate, so keep the whisk nearby and whisk again before each use.

5. Take two layers of filo pastry. Place one exactly on top of the other. Brush the entire surface with a little of the liquid mixture. Place a little filling in a thin line along the short edge, leaving a few centimetres (about 1–1½ inch) at the ends. Fold the pastry over the filling—first from the long side, then from the left and right hand side to close. Roll up tightly to the end. Place the rolled börek in the baking dish, arranging them as shown in pictures. Repeat until you've used all the filo and filling. Repeat until you have used up all of the filling. How many pieces of filo pastry you need will depend on the size of your filo pastry sheets and how generously you fill them. You may not need all of the liquid mixture.

How to shape the börek