Pastel (Israeli Spiced Meat Pie) Recipe (2024)

My family is from Turkey, and we make our Pastel with Matzah instead of the pastry. It is leaner and is also kosher for Passover. Instead of sesame seeds, we use walnuts. Use a little chicken stock to wet the matzah and you're good to go.

To Jen in Astoria, I also make for Passover. Use SHEETS of Matzo. Moisten in large bowl of cold water, turning every 10 seconds, for no more than 1 minute. Lay moistened Matzo sheets on paper towels to absorb excess. Matzo should be pliable, but not falling apart. Line bottom & sides greased 13"x9" casserole with 1 layer of Matzo, overlapping as needed, spoon in filling, cover w rest Matzo, brush top w beaten egg, sprinkle sesame seeds.

I'd like to adapt Debbie's idea of using Matzos instead of puff pastry. I'd also like to try ground lamb or a mix of lamb and beef. Seasonings: allspice, cinnamon, cumin, Aleppo pepper and pine nuts - makes it almost a Kibee!

Rated 4-star based on original recipe. But having used this as a guideline only, I think I raised it to a personal 5-star by using equal parts ground lamb and lean beef, adding pine nuts and an array of spices I usually add to Middle Eastern cuisine - allspice, cumin, Za'atar, ras el hanout, sumac, and ginger. Just kept smelling the mixture and adding more. Did not have fresh dill but added dried dill weed to the mix, and drained half the fat. It was outstanding.

Pastel changes 4 months ago1 lb lamb, 1 lb beefSeasoning short tb salt1/2 T pepper1.5 t cumin3/4 t cinnamon1/2 t zatar1/2 t allspice1/2 c raisins1 c mixed spinach and kale from the gardenFresh parsleyDried dill

I also drained the meat and vegetable mixture before adding it to the pastry crust to keep the dish from getting too soggy.

I drained the beef and added sautéed red pepper also. For spices, I added extra cinnamon and some cumin and Garam masala. I added some feta cheese prior to baking. How delicious! I do think It would have seemed bland without the additions.

Also used Trader Joe's imported French puff pastry (a deal at $3.99/17 ounces). The leftovers have been just as delicious when reheated.

I've made this dish several times -- love it. But in the first sentence of step 2, shouldn't it say "While beef is cooling" rather than "While beef is cooking"? Since I'm stirring the ground beef while it cooks so it browns uniformly, I think it makes make more sense to deal with the pastry while waiting for the beef to cool.

Not if it's an oven safe dish. Just don't freeze it for more than the 15 minutes called for. For longer storage use the refrigerator.

This did not thrill me - just beef in crust. It needs something to be less "beefy." Potatoes? Spinach? Just something to break up the monotony. Not a winner for me.

Made this today, but used lamb instead of beef - SO delicious! I do like the idea of adding bitter greens for next time.

Delicious! Made a few variations, and it came out very good. Swapped beef for elk, added some quartered brussels sprouts and cubed butternut squash to the filling, added a little cumin as suggested by others, made a top crust only.

I love the idea of this recipe, however I do make a fair amount of changes to make it amazing. The beef mixture as written is very bland so I like to add cumin, extra cinnamon, and curry powder to taste.I also like to add steamed potatoes or sweet potatoes to the filling to give the pie more structure.

Just made this for my husband, as he has tied to Israel is gutted by how the Jewish people have been savagely attacked by Hamas. Used lamb instead of beef, and did as another commenter suggested and used the spice mix from Ottolenghi’s Lamb Shawarma (on NYT’s site). Also added raisins and slivered almonds (didn’t have any pine nuts, plus they are expensive). He loved it! I always know when he actually really likes stuff I make cause I see him eating up the leftovers the next day :)

Delicious! I had a fennel bulb that needed to be used, so I did 1 onion, 1 fennel bulb and the 2 carrots; it added great dimension to the final dish. Also did 1/2 beef, 1/2 lamb which was lovely. Next time I'll stir half the herbs into the cooled beef-egg mixture before sprinkling the rest atop of the meat mixture. A fabulous dish for kids, picky teens and adults- it's going into the rotation! Also a good comfort food dish to serve to scared friends with relatives in Israel. Peace to all. <3

Half Turkey or lamb

This is very delicious! I add some chilies or crushed red pepper or urfa pepper to give it some kick.

This was a miss for us. We found it just tasted mostly of ground beef. If I make it again, I will add more warm spices and maybe an extra egg or two since the two eggs weren't enough to bind the ingredients.

Very easy to cut this recipe in half for an 8x8Highly recommend lining the pan with parchment paper for easy releaseThe second time I made this I added a bunch of spinach and crumbled feta and it worked great.

I used plant based ground beef, turned out so good. So simple but full of flavor.

Presentation is beautiful, crust held together well, good texture. Agree picking could me upped for greater flavour. Used a 9x9" pan as my next size up was too big. Good!

I am new to this recipe BUT went with a vegetarian version using "Morning Star Crumbles". I also added red pepper and garlic. Pretty Good! The aroma of cinnamon is delightful.I will try the Passover alternative that are on this thread, and some of the spice variations. Thank you!

Delicious with a cumin/cinnamon/cardamom spice mix (approximately 1 tbsp each). (I don't like dill). Also threw in some spinach. It was consumed within minutes. Used frozen puff pastry from Whole Foods. I like the idea suggested in the notes of trying it with lamb.

I used phyllo dough, as my store was out of puff pastry. Flavor was excellent (I added additional spices as suggested in other comments), and the dough held the filling in and browned up perfectly. However, only the top layer browned and crisped; the rest stayed pale and papery. Anyone have suggestions for working with phyllo if I'm in this situation again? It seems like it might need butter or egg or something between layers to be at its best.

Has anyone tried this with only a top crust?

This reminds me of Sitty’s Lebanese meat pies- which I am far too lazy to make! Delicious and comforting! Can’t wait to make for other members of my family. Used 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground bison because it’s what I had on hand. Also forgot puff pastry at the store so used pie crust. Can’t imagine it tasting any better!