Recipe for topside meat pies with a trio of Arabic pastes

Today’s recipe is for lovers of Arabic cuisine. We explain step by step how to make meat pies, a Middle Eastern delicacy that has conquered the world. Ideal to be eaten with your hands, it stands out for its infinite variety of available fillings – from sweet to savory, its fame is unanimous.

The tip is to prepare it with minced meat such as Minerva topside and combine it with a trio of Arabic pastes made with tahini, baba ghanoush, and hummus, creating a true mixture of aromas and flavors. How about gathering friends and preparing this recipe on the weekend?

INGREDIENTS

Meat pies:

• 1 1.5 kg piece of PUL topside minced meat
• 350ml of water
• 60g of sugar
• 60ml of oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of dry yeast
• 500g of wheat flour
• Wheat flour for dusting
• 2 tablespoons of Alma Lusa olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
• Chopped parsley to taste

Labneh:

• 4 pots of unsweetened natural yogurt
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons of Alma Lusa olive oil

Baba Ghanoush:

• 2 eggplants
• 2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 garlic clove
• Juice of 1 Tahiti lemon
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt to taste
• White sesame seeds to taste

Hummus:

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of tahini (sesame paste)
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Finishing:

• Pita bread to accompany

PREPARATION:

Meat pies:

In a large bowl, place the water, sugar, oil, salt, and yeast and mix well.

Gradually add the flour until it becomes a homogeneous dough.

Transfer to a clean surface, sprinkle with wheat flour, and knead until smooth and no longer sticky.

Return to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let it ferment in a warm place. This process takes around 40 minutes or until it doubles in volume.

For the filling, first heat a large pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
Add the onion and garlic to sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the minced meat and cook for 15 minutes or until it is loose.

Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste, diced tomatoes, and parsley. Mix well and set aside.

Once the dough has risen, make medium-sized balls, sprinkle flour on the surface, and flatten with your fingertips. Spread to the edges, forming a circle with a small border.

Place the minced meat filling and repeat the process until all the dough is used up.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Set aside.

Labneh:
Place the yogurts in a coffee filter with the holder and a glass underneath. Leave in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Arrange in a small bowl, season with salt and olive oil. Then, mix well and set aside.

Baba Ghanoush:
Pierce the eggplants with a fork and place them over an open flame carefully. Rotate until completely burned.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it cool for 10 minutes.

Remove the skin under running water and place in a food processor along with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Blend until you get a paste.

Arrange in a medium bowl and garnish with sesame seeds. Set aside.

Hummus:
Drain all the water from the chickpeas and place them in a food processor with the garlic, water, tahini, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Blend until you get a paste. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.

Finishing:
Serve the meat pies with labneh, baba ghanoush, hummus, and pita bread immediately!