Fetayeh Filo Triangles (Arab Beef-Filled pastry)
Delicious pastry packets of Arab spiced beef, onions and pinenuts. A great appetizer! Bet you can’t eat just one!
FETAYEH BEEF FILLED FILO (PHYLLO) TRIANGLES
Filling:
1 finely chopped onion
½ cup butter
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 pound lean ground beef
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
½ cup pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup melted butter
-To Make Filling:
In medium frying pan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Saute the onions in the butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and simmer till brown breaking it up as it cooks. Add tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 - 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pine nuts. Set aside.
To Form Triangles:
-Lay stack (1 package) of filo (phyllo) sheets out on working surface horizontally. With a pair of scissors and with the lining paper underneath, cut stack of sheets in 3-inch wide strips, to create 4 strips from the stack.
-Place one strip in front of you and cover the remaining 3 strips with plastic wrap. Separate the layers of phyllo into strips of 2 layers on your work surface, 5 -6 at a time. With a pastry brush, brush each with melted butter and place about 1 tablespoon of meat filling on the bottom end facing you.
-Working from the bottom end fold phyllo over the filling to create a triangle shape, with the bottom edge of the phyllo strip, against the long edge of the strip. Then roll the triangle again as if folding a flag, until you have reached the top and the meat filling is completely enfolded in the phyllo.
-Place the triangles on a well-buttered baking sheet, seam side down and immediately brush the top of each triangle with melted butter to completely cover any exposed surface of pastry. Use the butter to secure extra ends of phyllo pastry into place. Repeat process with each 2-layer strip of dough. Then open the other package of phyllo dough and repeat the process.
-Bake the triangles in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden and puffy. Serve warm. or at room temperature. Makes about 48 triangles.
Saute onions in melted butter, add beef and brown over medium heat. Stir in tomato paste and spices then simmer.
Cut filo (phyllo) into 4 long strips, 3 inches wide. Place 2 layers on top of each other, brush with melted butter then place spoonful of meat filling at each end.
Fold flag-style as in diagram, right to left: take lower edge and fold over filling placing bottom edge along long edge. Fold same way again to the top and secure last flap of pastry.
Place triangles on buttered baking sheet. Brush butter over all exposed surfaces of each triangle.
Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
Golden layers of filo pastry filled with Arab-spiced beef, studded with pinenuts. Oh, yum!
