Kreatopita (meat pie)
Pies
DESCRIPTION
If someone asked you about the ingredients of the meat pie, the answer would certainly be “pure tradition”. Layers of filo, rolled effortlessly from expert hands with the aid of a thin roiling pin. Almost transparent, they are layered alternately with the filling, which is as festive as our customs.
Meat pie is linked to prosperity and a wish for abundance. It used to mark the New Year. It brought anticipation for the times to come. A piece for the house, another for the cattle, one more for the household, a piece for good fortune… The whole pie was a family tale, tasty and filled with the most exquisite ingredients, and perhaps a little trachana so that the wishes come true…
INGREDIENTS
For the dough
1kg flour
Water as much as needed
Some vinegar
Salt
For the filling
1kg pork shoulder, cut in cubes
2 leeks (white part only)
1 big onion (coarsely chopped)
250g trachanas
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
METHOD
For the dough
Add the flour and the salt in a basin. Make a hole in the middle and add some vinegar and the water while kneading. We should get soft and even dough. Split into 12 equal parts and let it rest for 30 minutes.
For the filling
Sauté the meat in a pot. Add the leek and the onion and sauté for 10 more minutes. Add salt and pepper and pour some water to bail the meat. Add the trachana just before removing from the stove and let the mixture cool down.
For the pie
Roll 12 layers of filo, oil them up and overlay 3 of them in an oiled tray. Position them so the edges overlap the tray, to create “kothro” (crust). Add some filling and then overlay a layer of filo. Repeat the same procedure until you run out our filling (use 5 more layers of filo). Put the remaining 3 layers of filo on top, oiling each up in the process. Add olive oil on top and score the pie. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about an hour at 180°C.