Lebanese Sambousek with Spiced Beef and Pine Nuts

Name: Lebanese Sambousek with Spiced Beef and Pine Nuts
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting; 1 tsp (6 g) fine salt; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm; ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water, about 100°F (38°C), comfortably warm to the touch; ⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts; 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter; 1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and very finely chopped (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces or smaller); 12 oz (340 g) ground beef, 80% lean, at room temperature for 15 minutes; 1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; ¼ tsp (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 1 tbsp (20 g) pomegranate molasses (optional); 2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water, in a small bowl, for sealing; 6 cups (1400 ml) neutral frying oil (sunflower, canola or vegetable), about 2½ inches (6 cm) deep in the pot

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp, golden half-moon pastries with a tender butter-enriched dough, filled with allspice-scented beef, sweet onion and buttery toasted pine nuts. A classic mezze favorite that can be filled ahead and fried just before serving.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 55 min
Total: 2 hr 25 min
Makes: 32 sambousek (about 4 per serving)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp (6 g) fine salt
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
¾ cup (180 ml) warm water, about 100°F (38°C), comfortably warm to the touch
For the filling
⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
1 large (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and very finely chopped (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces or smaller)
12 oz (340 g) ground beef, 80% lean, at room temperature for 15 minutes
1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp (20 g) pomegranate molasses (optional)
To assemble and fry
2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water, in a small bowl, for sealing
6 cups (1400 ml) neutral frying oil (sunflower, canola or vegetable), about 2½ inches (6 cm) deep in the pot

Equipment (9)

Large mixing bowl
Large (12-inch / 30 cm) skillet
3½-inch (9 cm) round cookie cutter or glass
Rolling pin
Heavy 4-quart (3.8 L) pot or Dutch oven for frying
Deep-fry or candy thermometer
Slotted spoon or spider
Pastry brush
Rimmed baking sheet and paper towels

Steps

Before you start

Melt the dough butter and let it cool until warm, not hot, to the touch so it doesn't cook the flour.
The filling must be completely cool before you fill the dough, so cook it while the dough rests.
Set up a landing tray lined with paper towels, plus a rimmed baking sheet dusted with flour for the shaped sambousek.
Use a thermometer for the frying oil. Oil that is too cool makes greasy pastries, and oil that is too hot browns the outside before the dough cooks through.

1
Make the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour and dough salt.
- Pour in the warm melted butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like damp sand.
- Add the warm water and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 6–8 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough is smooth, soft and elastic, springs back slowly when poked, and no longer sticks to your hands.
Tip: If it feels sticky, knead in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If it feels stiff and cracks, wet your hands and knead again.
2
Rest the dough
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
- Let it rest at room temperature while you make the filling.
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Ready when: The dough feels softer and stretches easily when gently pulled.
3
Toast the pine nuts
- Melt the filling butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the pine nuts and stir constantly for 3–4 minutes.
- Scoop them into a small bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the butter in the pan.
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Ready when: The pine nuts are light golden and smell nutty.
Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds. Remove them as soon as they color, because they keep darkening in the hot pan.
4
Cook the beef and onion
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
- Add the beef, allspice, cinnamon, filling salt and pepper.
- Break the meat into very small crumbles with a wooden spoon and cook for 6–8 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is soft and translucent. The beef is browned with no pink left, reaches at least 160°F (71°C), and the pan is nearly dry of liquid.
Tip: Wet filling makes soggy dough that bursts in the fryer. If liquid pools, keep cooking until it evaporates, or spoon off excess fat and juices.
5
Finish and cool filling
- Off the heat, stir in the toasted pine nuts, parsley and pomegranate molasses, if using.
- Spread the filling on a plate or baking sheet in a thin layer and let it cool completely.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
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Ready when: The filling feels neither warm nor steamy when touched, and it holds together when pressed with a spoon.
Tip: The filling should taste slightly over-seasoned because the dough is mild.
6
Roll and cut circles
- Divide the rested dough into 2 pieces and keep one covered.
- Roll the other on a lightly floured counter to about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick.
- Cut 3½-inch (9 cm) circles with the cutter.
- Gather the scraps, rest them for 5 minutes, then re-roll once.
- Repeat with the second piece.
- You should get about 32 circles.
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Ready when: The dough is thin enough that you can faintly see your fingers through it, but it doesn't tear when lifted.
Tip: Keep cut circles covered with a damp towel so the edges don't dry out and fail to seal.
7
Fill and seal
- Place 1 level tablespoon (about 12 g) of filling in the center of a circle.
- Brush the edge lightly with cold water, fold it over into a half-moon, and press out any trapped air.
- Press the edges firmly together, then crimp with the tines of a fork.
- Set on the floured baking sheet and repeat with all the circles.
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Ready when: Each sambousek is fully sealed, with no filling on the edge and no gaps along the seam.
Tip: Use only a thin film of water. Too much water makes the seam slippery and it won't seal. Don't overfill, or the seams will split while frying.
8
Heat the oilOven 350°F / 175°C
- Pour the oil into the heavy pot to a depth of about 2½ inches (6 cm), with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of space left above it.
- Heat over medium-high heat until the thermometer reads 350°F (175°C).
- Line a tray with paper towels.
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Ready when: The thermometer reads 350°F (175°C), and a scrap of dough dropped in sizzles right away and floats.
Tip: Never leave hot oil unattended.
9
Fry in batchesOven 350°F / 175°C
- Lower 4–5 sambousek into the oil at a time, slipping them in carefully from the edge of the pot.
- Fry for 2–3 minutes, turning once halfway, until deep golden and blistered.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon, letting the oil drain back, and place on the paper towels.
- Let the oil return to 350°F (175°C) between batches.
- You will need about 7 batches.
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Ready when: The pastries are deep golden brown on both sides and crisp, with small bubbles across the surface.
Tip: Do not crowd the pot. Too many at once drops the oil temperature and makes greasy, pale sambousek. Fry one test piece first and cut it open to check the seam and filling.
10
Rest and serve
- Let the fried sambousek drain and cool for about 5 minutes so the filling isn't scalding.
- Serve warm with lemon wedges, plain yogurt or a simple cucumber-mint yogurt.
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Ready when: The surface is dry and crisp when tapped.
Tip: Don't stack them while hot, or the steam will soften the crust.

Good to know

Tips

Rolling the dough thin is what makes the crust crisp and blistered rather than doughy.
Air trapped inside will puff up and burst seams, so press the air out as you seal.
Keep the oil between 340–360°F (170–180°C) throughout and adjust the burner between batches.
To bake instead of frying, brush with beaten egg and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes until golden. The crust will be less blistered but still good.

Make ahead

"Make the filling up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Shape the sambousek up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate them in a single layer on a floured tray, covered loosely. Or freeze them unfried (see Storage) and fry straight from the freezer."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: fried sambousek keep crisp for up to 2 hours. Fridge: store cooled sambousek in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze unfried, shaped sambousek in a single layer on a tray until solid, then bag them for up to 3 months, and fry from frozen at 340°F (170°C) for 4–5 minutes. Reheat fried leftovers on a rack in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8–10 minutes until hot and crisp."

Substitutions

ground beef, 80% lean → ground lamb. Gives a more traditional, richer flavor. Use the same weight and cook to 160°F (71°C).
pine nuts → slivered almonds. A cheaper alternative. Toast the same way until light golden.
pomegranate molasses → lemon juice. Use 2 teaspoons for a similar tang.
unsalted butter → ghee or neutral oil. Use the same weight of ghee, or 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of oil, for a slightly crisper crust.