LAHMACUN WITH MEAT

Lahmacun with Meat image

Traditionally, these were made as small pies and rolled up after baking (the dough is not cooked crisp but left soft like a pita); you might make twelve or even more from this recipe. Now, to make them look more familiar to visitors from other parts of the world, lahmacun are often made as large pizzas, which you can do if you prefer.

Yield makes 6 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

1 recipe Pizza Dough (page 572)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound ground lamb
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (available at Middle Eastern markets), hot paprika, or pure chile powder, like ancho or New Mexico, or to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, optional
1 cup cored and chopped tomato, preferably fresh
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Flour for rolling out the dough
2 tablespoons melted butter, optional

Steps:

Divide the dough into as many balls as you would like; small ones are traditional, and this recipe will conveniently make 12. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and allow to rest. Preheat the oven to 450°F; put a baking stone in it if you have one, on a rack set low in the oven.
Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir; add the lamb and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until it loses its color, about 5 minutes. Add the Aleppo pepper, some salt and black pepper, and the pine nuts; stir. Add the tomato, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is saucy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the herbs and lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning, then turn off the heat. Cool for a few minutes.
If you have a peel and a baking stone, roll or pat out the dough on the peel, as thinly as you like, turning occasionally and sprinkling it with flour as necessary. If you are using baking sheets, oil them lightly, then press each dough ball into a flat round directly on the oiled sheets. Let the rounds sit for a few minutes; this will relax the dough and make it easier to roll out. Then roll or pat out the dough, as thin as you like, flouring or oiling your hands if necessary. Roll out as many of the dough balls as will fit in your oven at a time.
Spoon a portion of the topping onto each of the pies, leaving a small border. Brush with melted butter if you wish and bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust just begins to brown. Serve hot or at room temperature, flat or rolled up.
My favorite; you can omit the meat or not (just use a simple tomato sauce if you like) as you prefer: After topping the pies, carefully break an egg onto the top of each. Bake as directed.