Egyptian Meat Pie (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Beef Filling

01 - 1 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1 small onion, diced
03 - 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
04 - 1 tsp allspice
05 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 tsp black pepper, adjust if needed
07 - 1 tsp salt, adjust if needed (pink salt is a good option)
08 - 1/4 tsp ground ginger
09 - 1 tbsp tomato paste

→ Phyllo Layers

10 - 16 oz pack of phyllo sheets, thawed
11 - 1/2 cup light olive oil
12 - 1/4 cup melted butter or ghee
13 - 1 cup milk
14 - 1 large egg
15 - Salt and black pepper, as needed

# Instructions:

01 - Warm olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Toss in onions and stir for 2–3 minutes until soft. Crumble in the ground beef and stir as it cooks. Mix in the spices (allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, and ginger) and the tomato paste. Once the meat browns completely, take it off the heat and set it aside.
02 - Set your oven to 200°C (400°F) to preheat.
03 - Melt ghee (or butter) in a microwave or on the stove. Stir it together with the olive oil.
04 - Coat a baking dish with the oil mix using a brush or spray. Fold 2–3 sheets of phyllo at a time over the base and brush each layer with oil before adding another. Repeat until you've used half the sheets.
05 - Spread the ground beef filling in an even layer over the sheets of phyllo.
06 - Layer the rest of the phyllo dough sheets, brushing each batch of 2–3 sheets with the oil mix. Score into diamond or square shapes as you like.
07 - Crack an egg into a measuring cup, beat it lightly, then stir in milk. Add a little salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture over the pastry and tilt the baking dish to let it spread out evenly.
08 - Pop the dish in the oven and cook for around 20–30 minutes. It's ready when the top turns golden.
09 - Allow it to cool a bit and serve while it's warm.

# Notes:

01 - Crisp and flavorful, this is perfect for parties or family gatherings with endless variations.
02 - For added nutrients, you can cook this with finely diced veggies like celery, green beans, peas, or sweet corn.
03 - Traditionally, 1 cup of butter is used for this dish, but less can work too. Experiment with as little as 1/3 cup olive oil and 2 tbsp ghee.
04 - This savory pastry, called goulash in Egypt, is popular across the Middle East. It's different from the goulash often made in Europe.

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