Kreatopita Ipirotiki (Κρεατόπιτα Ηπείρου)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •round metal tapsi, 36cm
• •long thin rolling pin for village phyllo
• •wide heavy pot with lid, 28cm
• •pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Put the flour and salt in a wide bowl. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and 300ml lukewarm water, then mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 8-10 minutes, adding only a spoonful or two of water if dry flour remains. The dough should feel smooth, elastic, and alive under your palm, not sticky.

   Vinegar helps the village phyllo roll thin without turning tough. You won't taste it.
2. 2

   Rest the dough

   Divide the dough into 8 balls, rub each lightly with olive oil, and cover them with an overturned bowl or a clean towel. Rest for at least 45 minutes. Rested dough rolls willingly. Unrested dough fights you, and nobody needs a fight before a feast.

3. 3

   Brown the beef

   Warm 80ml olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in two batches and brown it well, 6-8 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot. You want color on the meat and browned bits on the bottom, because that is the first flavor of the filling.

4. 4

   Simmer the filling

   Return all the beef to the pot. Add the onions and cook until they soften, about 8 minutes. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom clean. Add the hot water or broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, allspice, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the beef is tender but still in pieces.

5. 5

   Add the trahana

   Uncover the pot and remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. You should have about 300ml glossy broth left around the meat. If there is much more, boil uncovered for a few minutes. Stir in the trahana and cook 5 minutes, just until it begins to swell. Take the pot off the heat and let the filling cool until warm, not hot.

   This is the step that keeps the pie standing. The trahana drinks the meat juices as it bakes, so the slice holds instead of flooding the pan.
6. 6

   Finish the filling

   When the filling is warm enough that you can hold your finger in it comfortably, stir in the beaten eggs and grated cheese. Taste for salt. If using the New Year coin, tuck the foil-wrapped coin into the filling now and remember where it is before the pie goes into the oven.

7. 7

   Roll the phyllo

   Heat the oven to 190C. Oil a 36cm round metal tapsi. Roll 5 dough balls into thin sheets a little larger than the pan, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Lay them into the tapsi one at a time, brushing each with olive oil and letting the edges climb the sides. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work.

8. 8

   Fill the pie

   Spread the meat filling evenly over the bottom phyllo. Roll the remaining 3 sheets and lay them over the top, brushing each with olive oil. Fold the overhanging edges inward to make a rough rim. This pie should look generous, not polished flat.

9. 9

   Score and bake

   Brush the top with the remaining olive oil, and with the melted butter too if you want a deeper brown top. Score the pie into 10-12 pieces, cutting through the top layers but not all the way to the bottom. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the phyllo is deep golden, crisp at the folds, and the bottom lifts cleanly from the pan.

10. 10

    Rest and serve

    Let the kreatopita rest for 20-30 minutes before cutting. The trahana finishes setting the juices as the pie settles, and the pieces come away clean. Serve warm, with a green salad, olives, and a glass of tsipouro or dry white wine. If there is a coin inside, say it clearly at the table before anyone takes a bite.

Chef Tips

• •Cut the beef by hand if you can. Mince makes a softer pie, but Ioannina's New Year version wants small pieces of meat you can feel under the tooth.
• •Use sour trahana, xinos trahanas, if you have it. Sweet trahana will thicken the filling, but it misses the quiet tang that balances the beef and cheese.
• •Village phyllo is thicker than packaged phyllo for sweets. If you must use bought phyllo, choose horiatiko phyllo, brush it well with olive oil, and use enough layers to hold the filling. Paper-thin sheets collapse here.
• •The pie keeps well for 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat pieces in a moderate oven, not the microwave, so the bottom phyllo comes back crisp.
• •For New Year, hide the coin only if everyone at the table knows. Tradition is good. A dental emergency is not tradition.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made up to 12 hours ahead, rubbed with oil, covered, and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature for 1 hour before rolling.
• •The meat filling can be cooked a day ahead and chilled before the eggs and cheese are added. Warm it gently until just loose, then let it cool to warm before finishing.
• •The whole pie can be assembled 4 hours ahead and held covered in the refrigerator. Bake straight from cold, adding 5-10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)