Dinner
Brisket and Harissa Bourekas
A Polish-Israeli-North African family showpiece, slow-braised brisket shredded and mixed with harissa and caramelised onion then encased in flaky phyllo bourekas so the Sephardic Jewish pastry tradition and the North African spice heat and the Ashkenazi brisket slow-cook tradition produce a family bake that belongs to all three heritages simultaneously.
$6
30 minsPrep
2 hrs 30 minsCook
180 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
560Calories
38gProtein
28gFat
44gCarbs
8gSugar
4gFiber
680mgSodium
115mgChol
0gSat Fat
Goes well with
Saison Ale
local
Israeli Mint Tea
international
High Protein
Dairy-Free
fusion-kitchen
Instructions
1
Prep
Season 700g brisket with 1 tsp salt. Thinly slice 1 large onion and smash 3 garlic cloves. Dice 1 large cucumber, finely dice 0.5 red onion, roughly chop 20g parsley and 10g mint. Whisk together 400ml stock, 2 tbsp harissa, 1.5 tbsp honey, and 1.5 tbsp soy sauce.
2
Sear
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy casserole over high heat. Sear brisket 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Add onion and garlic around brisket, cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
3
Braise
Pour stock mixture over brisket. Cover tightly, braise in preheated 160°C oven 2 hours until completely tender and falling apart when tested with a fork.
4
Reduce
Remove brisket and shred finely. Reduce braising liquid on the hob over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy and syrupy. Mix shredded brisket with reduced liquid until evenly coated.
5
Wrap
Lay one phyllo sheet flat, brush with oil. Lay second sheet on top, brush again. Place generous line of brisket filling along one long edge. Roll tightly into a cylinder, curl into a spiral, place on lined baking tray. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling to make 4–6 spirals.
6
Bake
Brush all bourekas generously with 80ml oil, scatter 2 tbsp sesame seeds over. Bake at 190°C for 22–25 minutes until deep golden and flaky, rotating tray halfway through.
7
Plate
Combine cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint with 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 0.5 tsp salt; toss well. Serve warm bourekas with cucumber and herb salad alongside.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 350g350g beef brisket
- 1 tbsp1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 11 large onion
- 2 cloves2 cloves garlic
- 200ml200ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp1 tbsp harissa paste
- 3/4 tbsp3/4 tbsp honey
- 3/4 tbsp3/4 tbsp soy sauce
- 66 phyllo pastry sheets
- 40ml40ml neutral oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 11 large cucumber
- 10g10g fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 5g5g fresh mint
- 11 medium red onion
- 3/4 tbsp3/4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp1/4 tsp fine sea salt
