Equipment
Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 250 g ground beef, 80 percent lean
- 250 g ground lamb
- 30 g tomato paste
- 60 ml dry red wine
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground allspice
- 5 g salt
- 2 g black pepper
Cheese and Binder
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 150 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 50 g kefalotyri cheese, finely grated
- 15 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Pastry Assembly
- 375 g filo pastry, thawed completely
- 120 g unsalted butter, melted
- 30 ml olive oil
Tomato and Avocado Salad
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 avocado, diced
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml red wine vinegar
- 2 g dried oregano
- 2 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 920 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 68 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1225 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 25 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 31 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 163 mg
- Potassium
- 792 mg
- Calcium
- 290 mg
- Iron
- 5.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 59 mg
- Phosphorus
- 418 mg
- Zinc
- 5.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 230 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 18 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 70 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.50 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.71 mg
- Niacin
- 6.3 mg
- Folate
- 131 mcg
- Water
- 162 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the diced onion and saute for five minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the minced garlic, ground beef, and ground lamb. Cook while breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until fully browned and no pink remains, ensuring the meat reaches a safe internal temperature of at least 74°C/165°F.
Stir in the tomato paste, red wine, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, salt, and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has completely evaporated.
Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the meat mixture to cool for fifteen minutes.
Once the meat is cooled, stir in the lightly beaten eggs, crumbled feta, grated kefalotyri, and chopped parsley until everything is evenly incorporated.
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and olive oil for brushing the pastry.
Brush the bottom and sides of a 22x33 cm baking dish with the butter mixture. Layer half of the filo sheets into the dish, brushing every single sheet generously with the butter mixture as you stack them.
Spread the cooled meat and cheese mixture evenly over the layered filo base.
Layer the remaining filo sheets on top of the meat mixture, again brushing each sheet individually with the butter mixture, including the very top layer.
Using a sharp knife, carefully score the top layers of the filo pastry into square portions, taking care not to cut all the way through to the bottom layer.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for forty-five minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and shatteringly crisp.
While the pie is baking, prepare the salad by combining the halved cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, and sliced red onion in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and salt to create the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat the vegetables without crushing the avocado.
Remove the baked meat pie from the oven and let it rest for at least fifteen minutes before cutting entirely through the scored lines. Serve warm alongside the fresh tomato and avocado salad.
Chef's Notes
- Scoring the top layers of the filo before baking is crucial; trying to cut through completely baked, brittle filo will cause the pie to shatter into a messy crumble.
- Mixing olive oil into melted butter raises the smoke point and helps keep the pastry softer on the inside while crisping the outside, yielding a superior texture to butter alone.
- Do not skip cooling the meat before adding the cheese and eggs. Hot filling will immediately melt the feta and scramble the egg binders, ruining the rustic texture of the filling.
- The addition of cinnamon and allspice provides a quintessential Greek warmth to the dish. It should linger in the background without overpowering the savory meat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the pie in an airtight container. The salad does not keep well and should be consumed immediately.
Freezer: 3 months — Unbaked pie can be frozen tightly wrapped. Bake directly from frozen, adding 15 to 20 minutes to the cook time.
Reheating: Reheat pie slices in a 175C oven for 10 to 15 minutes to restore the crispy filo pastry. Do not microwave.
Troubleshooting
Soggy bottom pastry layer
Cause: The meat filling was too wet, or the pie was baked on a high oven rack.
Fix: Cover the top loosely with foil to prevent burning and bake for an additional 10 minutes on the bottom oven rack.
Prevention: Ensure all liquid is completely evaporated from the meat mixture during the simmering phase. Bake the pie on the lowest oven rack to concentrate heat on the base.
Filo pastry tearing during assembly
Cause: The delicate dough dried out due to air exposure.
Fix: Simply patch the tear with another piece of buttered filo; the layers will fuse together during baking and the mistake will be invisible.
Prevention: Always keep unworked filo sheets under a lightly damp, clean kitchen towel.
Eggs scrambled when mixed into the filling
Cause: The meat mixture was too hot when the eggs were added.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once scrambled, but the pie will still be safe and flavorful to eat.
Prevention: Allow the meat to cool for the full fifteen minutes until it is warm but not piping hot before stirring in the eggs.
Cultural Context
Kreatopita is a rustic, celebratory dish originating from the mountainous, agricultural regions of Greece. While modern variations frequently use ground beef, traditional recipes historically relied heavily on lamb or goat. It is a hearty staple often reserved for Sunday family dinners or special occasions, utilizing localized cheeses and the staple thin pastry that characterizes so much of the Mediterranean baking tradition.
