Burek with ground beef: A Delicious Bite of Yugoslavian Tradition

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is lower in fat, while ground pork is often less expensive.

phyllo dough

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pastry dough

💰Cheaper: homemade dough

Whole wheat adds fiber, while homemade can reduce costs.

yogurt

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Greek yogurt is thicker and healthier, while sour cream is often cheaper.

butter

🥗Healthier: margarine

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Margarine is lower in saturated fat, and vegetable oil is often less expensive.

Cut onion into small pieces.

Add about 1 tablespoon of oil and start cooking onions until golden brown.

Add garlic, pepper, and salt, then mix.

Add 1.5 lb of ground beef and cook until well done.

Add 0.5 cup of beef broth and 3 tablespoons of flour, then cook for about 1 minute and let it cool down.

Use a 15-inch pan and oil it well, avoiding olive oil due to high cooking temperature.

Start laying phyllo sheets, covering the pan with the first layer.

Soak the first layer with a mixture of oil and sparkling water using a brush.

Repeat layering phyllo sheets four times, soaking each layer with the oil and sparkling water mixture before adding filling.

Add 2 eggs to the cooled beef mixture and spread it in a few spots on the phyllo layers.

Continue layering phyllo sheets and adding filling until you have eight phyllo sheets left.

Fold all sides in and lay the last four layers without any filling, soaking each layer with oil and sparkling water.

Dump leftover sparkling water on top to soak it in, then poke holes with a toothpick or skewer to help moisture absorb.

Bake at 390°F for the first 15 minutes, then reduce to 360°F and bake for another 30 minutes until golden brown.

After baking, cover with a pizza pan and flip upside down over the sink to drain extra oil and sparkling water.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens