Black Garlic & Spiced Lamb Borek

Note that this recipe is part of a larger article entitled, “Our 5 Favorite Black Garlic Recipes“. Here, we give you the down-low on black garlic including how to make it yourself and how to cook with it. And of course we highlight some of our favorite GradFood recipes using it such as Black Garlic & Mushroom Medley Pasta and Creamy Black Garlic Chicken. So if you like this recipe, be sure to check it out!

What is Börek?

Börek (also known as burek, bourekas, boreg, or byrek) is a delicious and aromatic recipe consisting of a certain filling wrapped in phyllo dough and baked in the oven (in this recipe, we made lamb Börek).

Where did Börek originate?

Börek is quite an old recipe, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Some say it first got its start in the high courts of the Ottoman Empire while others say that it was originally cooked over the campfires of ancient nomads. Regardless, this recipe has survived the test of time and is now considered a delicacy in many parts of the world including the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Mediterranean, North Africa, and Central Asia.

Different variations of Börek

While the key elements of Börek are phyllo dough and filling, the type of filling and the way it is constructed widely differs. In our recipe, we used a filling of spiced ground lamb mixed with onions, mushrooms, and pine nuts. Sometimes it also calls for currants but instead, we decided to switch it up and use black garlic, a sticky, unique, and slightly sweet preparation of garlic. But feel free to experiment with your filling. For instance, if you wanted to try a vegetarian option, try making a spanakopita-like filling instead!

In terms of presentation, wrapping it into a spiral is a classic technique although other recipes call for just a flat top of phyllo like a pie and some variations use individual pastries similar to baklava. The possibilities are endless.

At the end of the day, any dough-wrapped meat recipe usually turns out to be a hit. For instance, check out our recipes for Saumon en Croûte or Moroccan Chicken Pastilla (both pictured below).

Black Garlic & Spiced Lamb Börek

You can't go wrong with spiced lamb wrapped in crispy phyllo dough, and the black garlic gives this Börek a unique touch.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Middle Eastern, Turkish

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

Borek

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 16 sheets phyllo pastry dough
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 package cremini mushrooms diced
• 15 mint leaves minced
• 3 tbsp roughly chopped black garlic
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp allspice
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• Salt & pepper to taste

Yogurt wash

• 3 tsbp yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp garlic minced
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• In a large pan or skillet, saute the mushrooms and then the onions, adding garlic in the last 5 minutes of sauteeing. Then cook the lamb in the pan (breaking it apart into small chunks with a spatula), adding the spices, pine nuts, mint, and black garlic. Once lamb is cooked through, combine it with the mushrooms and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for yogurt wash. On a clean dry surface, place one sheet of phyllo dough. With a silicone basting brush, lightly brush the phyllo sheet with this yogurt brush. Then place a new phyllo sheet on top of this and brush a bit more yogurt wash on top. Continue this process until you have 4 sheets.
• Now, add a fourth of the lamb mixture in a thin band along the long side. Now roll it up from the filling side and place aside. Repeat this process for four more pastry rolls.
• When completed, place one pastry roll into the middle of a cast iron pan and roll it into a spiral. Add each remaining pastry end-to-end until you’ve used all the rolls. Brush some melted butter on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until golden on top.
• Mix together ingredients for yogurt sauce. Cut the borek like pizza slices and serve topped with yogurt sauce.

Keyword Lamb, meat, Pastry

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