Baked Savory Pastries with Seasoned Meat

These savory phyllo triangles are a Greek mezze classic, known in Greece as kreatopitakia (little meat pies). The filling is a tomato-braised mix of ground beef, shallots, parsley, and fresh mint (a traditional Greek pairing with beef, not a garnish), held together with egg and grated cheese.

Working with phyllo pastry is where home cooks usually bail, but the trick is simple: keep what you’re not using covered with a damp towel over waxed paper, and never let an exposed sheet sit out for more than a minute. Phyllo dries and cracks in seconds when uncovered.

Generously brushing each sheet with melted butter before folding is a must, not optional. The butter is what turns the pastry crisp and golden as it bakes, and separates the layers so you get the signature flaky shatter.

Folding into triangles (the Greek flag-fold technique) takes a few tries to master. Once you have it, you can fold 30 in 20 minutes.

Chef Tips

• Cool the filling completely before stuffing. Hot filling steams the phyllo and turns the first layer soggy.
• If the filling looks wet after cooling, add the tablespoon of breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture. Wet filling leaks through phyllo.
• Brush the finished triangles with more butter before baking. A dry exterior browns unevenly.
• Turn halfway through baking so both sides brown evenly.

Variations

• Swap ground beef for ground lamb for a more traditional Greek flavor.
• Use crumbled feta in place of grated cheese for a saltier, more authentic bite.
• Freeze unbaked triangles on a sheet pan, then transfer to bags. Bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes to the bake time.