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Estiffras - Brazilian Meat Pie

A beef pie popular in Brazil, brought there by Middle Eastern refugees.
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Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, Dinner, pie
Cuisine Brazilian

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1 ½ Cups Whole Milk
  • 1 ½ tsp Sugar
  • 2 ½ tsp Instant active dried yeast
  • 3 Cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • 2 TBPS unsalted butter
  • 1 Egg beaten

Filling

  • 1 TBPS Olive oil (you can use peanut oil)
  • 1 Pound Ground Beef, 90/10%
  • 1 TBPS Unsalted butter***
  • 1 Cup Finely chopped Yellow, Vidalia onion
  • 1 Cup Finely chopped tomato
  • 1 Cup Fiinely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp Sea salt
  • ½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Ground cloves
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp Ground thyme
  • 1 tsp Fresh Lemon juice
  • 1 TBPS Scallions finely chopped

Assembly and Cooking

  • 2 Egg Yolks
  • 1 TBPS Water

Instructions
 

Dough

  • Heat the milk to 180 degrees (*scalded milk), then cool to 90 degrees.
  • Place the sugar and yeast in a small cup and mix well.
  • When the milk is around 90 degrees F, put in the sugar/yeast mixture.
  • Set the milk aside until it begins to bubbles.
  • Place the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • Melt the butter and set aside. Beat the egg with a whisk, then pour the butter (cooled) into the egg and whisk it well.
  • Using a dough hook, pour the milk into the flour mixture. Then pour in the egg/butter mixture.
  • When the dough forms a dough ball and leaves the sides of the bowl, remove to a floured flat clear surface and knead until the ball is shiny and springy.
  • Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and into a proofing box. Let it raise until double in size.**
  • Remove the dough ball from the bowl and punch down.
  • Roll out the dough to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. You can use a pasta machine for this.
  • Form the Estiffras into half moons, squares or triangles. I used a ravioli maker.
  • Add the filling, see below.

Filling

  • March chop and finely chop the ground beef
  • Add the oil to a fry pan. When hot add the beef.
  • Add the butter.
  • Fry the beef until most of the pink is gone then add the onions. When the onions are fragrant add the tomatoes and red peppers.
  • When the red peppers are softer add the salt, black pepper, cinnamonm, cloves, cumiinm, paprika, and thyme. Mix well and continue to cook until spices are fragrant.
  • Add the lemon juice and scallions and mix well. Cook for a short period and turn off the heat. Set the filling aside until cool.

Asembly and Cooking

  • Beat well the egg yolks and water.
  • When the dough is rolled out and cut into the shape you wish, place 1-2 TBPS of the filling. Form into half moons, circles, squares or triangles. Moisten the edges of the dough and seal well.
  • Place the filled pies on a parchment covered cookie sheet.
  • Brush each pie with the egg wash.
  • Bake the Esfirras at 375 degrees F until they are golden brown in color.
  • Remove and serve hot, warmed or at room temperature.
  • These can be served with a hot sauce, or eaten by themselves.

Notes

*Scalded milk works better with yeasted doughs. Scalding just means increasing the temperature to 180 degrees F, then cooling it to 90 degrees F.
**This dough can also be placed in the refrigerator over night and allowed to raise slowly.
***Using the 90/10 beef requires a bit of fat to be added. The butter adds great savory flavor.
Keyword Brazilian meat pies, Estiffras Beef pie
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