Öçpoçmaq (Tatar Meat & Potato Triangles)

Ingredients

• 500g all-purpose flour
• 200g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg
• 150ml cold sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt (for the dough)
• 400g beef chuck (or lamb shoulder), diced into 5mm cubes
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 5mm cubes
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 1 tsp salt (for the filling), plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 40g cold butter, cut into 8 small pats
• 200ml hot beef broth, for basting
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash

Before you cook

• Cut the cold butter into the flour and salt with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
• Whisk the egg into the sour cream, then work it into the flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms.
• Knead the dough briefly on a floured counter until smooth, wrap it, and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Peel and dice the potatoes into 5mm cubes and keep them in a bowl of cold water so they don't brown.
• Dice the beef and onions into similarly small 5mm pieces.
• Drain the potatoes well and pat them dry, then combine them in a bowl with the beef, onion, salt and pepper — do not cook this filling, it goes into the dough raw.
• Heat the beef broth on the stove until hot but not boiling, then keep it nearby for later.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Steps

1. Divide the chilled dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
2. Roll one ball out on a floured surface into a circle about 12-13cm across.
3. Spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of the raw meat-potato-onion filling into the center of the circle, mounding it slightly.
4. Press one small pat of butter into the top of the filling mound.
5. Lift one edge of the dough circle up to the center of the filling and pinch it into a point.
6. Lift a second edge up to meet the first and pinch that seam closed, forming two sides of a triangle.
7. Lift the third edge up to the same center point and pinch all three seams together, leaving a small open hole where the three corners meet.
8. Set the shaped triangle on the lined baking sheet and repeat rolling and filling with the remaining 7 dough balls.
9. Brush the top and sides of each triangle with the egg wash, avoiding the open hole.
10. Bake the triangles for 20 minutes, until the tops are just starting to turn golden.
11. Pull the tray out of the oven and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the hot broth into each triangle through its open hole.
12. Lower the oven temperature to 180°C (355°F) and return the tray to the oven.
13. Bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown and the meat inside is fully cooked.
14. Let the triangles rest for 5 minutes on the tray before serving hot.