Cheboureki (Beef and Garlic Meat Pies)
Recipe for Cheboureki (Чебуреки, Chebureki, Beef and Garlic Meat Pies). A flatbread-like dough is filled with a savory beef mixture, then deep-fried until flaky and golden.
Servings 8 Large Cheboureki
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) water
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) canola or grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 1 pound (450 grams) 85% lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 teaspoon (10 grams) salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (2 grams) finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon (2 grams) finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
For Frying:
- 3 to 4 cups (720 to 960 milliliters) canola or grapeseed oil
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Whisk together the water, oil and salt in a large bowl. Gradually stir in the flour with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix the ingredients well after each addition.
- Once all the flour is added, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes, until it’s elastic and smooth. (It needs to be firm and not sticky; add more flour if necessary.)
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The dough can be prepared the day before.
To make the filling:
- Place the beef into a large bowl. Grate the onion into the bowl, then add the garlic, salt, black pepper, dill and parsley.
- Use a spatula to combine the ingredients, until the mixture is uniform.
To assemble:
- Once the dough has rested, knead it again for 1 minute, then use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 8 pieces for large meat pies or into 16 pieces for smaller pies.
- For each meat pie, roll the dough out into a circle on a lightly floured work surface until it is very thin and almost transparent: 8 inches (20 centimeters) in diameter for larger cheboureki and 5 inches (13 centimeters) in diameter for smaller cheboureki.
- Place the filling—1/2 cup (120 grams) for large cheboureki or 1/4 cup (60 grams) for small cheboureki—onto one half of the dough circle, flattening and spreading the filling to within 1/2 inch (13 millimeters) of the edge.
- Fold the other half of the dough over the filling, then use a fork to seal the dough tightly.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until the oil reaches 300°F (148°C).
- Fry 2 to 3 meat pies at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until they are golden brown and crispy. Transfer the meat pies to a wire rack lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve the cheboureki while they are still warm. Keep leftovers refrigerated and bake them for 5 minutes in an oven preheated to 425°F (218°C).