Russian Meat Pies
These Russian meat pies, also called samsi, are made of crispy puff pastry and filled with deliciously seasoned meat and onions. They're so simple and can be made in advance and baked whenever you want! They're classically Uzbekistani cuisine, and my family makes them all the time.
Equipment
- meat grinder
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs lamb leg
- 11/2 lbs skirt or flank steak
- 5 medium yellow onions, diced
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp coriander
- 3 boxes ready made puff pastry or 6 sheets
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp water
- flaky salt
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the lamb and beef into chunks. Push them through a meat grinder on the biggest possible attachment or use a knife to cut the meat into small pieces.
- In a bowl, add the meat, diced onions, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and mix super well. Marinate for at least 8 hours and up to a week.
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Working with two sheets of puff pastry at a time, cut them each into 4 squares to have 8 squares total. Divide about 1/3 of the meat between them, about 1/4 cup per pie.
- Bring together the four corners of the pastry on top of the meat. Pinch the edges and shape in your hand until it is circular. See pictures above.
- Chill in the fridge while you make the rest of the pies. The recipe makes 24, but you can make 4, 8, 12, or 16 as you need.
- Combine the egg and the water, then brush each individual pie and sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt. Bake for 40-45 minutes and enjoy!