Crispy minced meat pie with rustic phyllo and aromatic minced meat, made with just a few simple ingredients – the simplicity that makes it luxurious.
Luxury lies in simplicity, then!
Between the successive layers of phyllo, fillings of greens and vegetables are “hidden.” Herbs and spices, minced meats and finely chopped cuts of meat, seafood and pasta.
Greek Pies
Greek pies are beloved dishes, deeply intertwined with tradition and the produce of each region.
For centuries, pies have been the everyday food of hardworking people.
Many years ago, especially in the countryside, cooking was often done in a rush, squeezed in between exhausting tasks.
Homemakers had little time to prepare food for many mouths. Necessity, as has been proven, sets the bar high.
That is the reason why, in every part of Greece, wonderful pies are still made to this day—true “heirlooms of gastronomic tradition.”
Traditional pies are something more than just food. They are “proof of love.”
After all, who rolls out phyllo and bakes a pie for just one person?
Above all, pies hold care and affection for loved ones within them. They are a bridge between generations, a celebration of the care we share at our table.
At the “heart” of every pie lies life itself—everyday moments that, when shared, become unique and precious.
Ingredients for Minced Meat Pie
- 750 g beef mince (chuck)
- 4 rustic phyllo sheets or homemade ones
- 2 dry onions
- 4 spring onions
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or pepper paste (I used hot pepper paste)
- 80 ml red wine or 40 ml cognac
- 150 g graviera cheese (I used Naxos graviera)
- 1 egg (the white for the filling –
- the yolk for brushing)
- sesame seeds for sprinkling
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Instructions
The Preparation of the Filling
In a large frying pan or a wide shallow pot, add 4–5 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add the garlic and sauté it lightly. Then add the onion.
Stir well for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion and garlic soften.
Add the minced meat as well. Break it up with a wooden spoon so it sauté evenly.
Add the salt and pepper, cumin and paprika.
Continue stirring until the spices release their aromas and the meat becomes nicely browned.
Add the tomato paste or pepper paste. Stir well.
If you like, of course, you can add both.
Deglaze with the wine or cognac. Let the alcohol evaporate for 2–3 minutes.
Lower the heat, cover the pan, and let the meat cook for 40 to 45 minutes. Just make sure it does not dry out or stick.
When the meat is ready, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly.
How to Assemble the Pie
Grease a baking pan well, both the bottom and the sides.
Lay down the first phyllo sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Add the second sheet and drizzle again with olive oil. Then the third sheet, and olive oil once more.
Beat the egg white with a fork and pour it into the minced meat mixture. Stir very well.
Add the grated graviera and mix.
Pour the filling into the pan and smooth the surface.
Fold inward the overhanging parts of the phyllo sheets and drizzle them with a little olive oil.
The folded-over parts of the sheets are enough to cover the surface of the pie once.
Cover with the fourth phyllo sheet.
Beat the egg yolk together with olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water. With half of this mixture, brush the surface of the pie well.
Score it into pieces with a knife.
Pour over the rest of the egg and olive oil mixture.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 180°C with top and bottom heat for 45 to 50 minutes.
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