Meat Puffs

I have fond memories of enjoying the meat puffs we used to buy from Best Bakery in Kottayam, while growing up in Kerala, India. These meat puffs are a favorite in our house and I have been trying to replicate those pastries. After countless attempts, I have come very close to the original, I think.

For the filling in the puffs, I have tried store-bought ground beef, meat that I ground at home, and also beef shredded in the food processor after cooking. In my opinion, shredding the meat after cooking provided the best texture. This meat filling is enough to make 48 meat puffs. If you are not planning to make that many puffs, freeze the leftover filling. Adjust the amount of cayenne and green chilies in the filling to suit your spice preference.

There are several different Puff pastry brands available in the market. I have tried Pepperidge farm, Wewalka, Daily delight (available at the Indian store, imported from Kerala), and the one sold at Trader Joe’s. My favorite so far is the Trader Joe’s brand, which is made using all butter. Others use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in their products. One issue with Trader Joe’s brand is that it is only available during the holiday season (October through January). I have been stocking up my freezer with boxes of puff pastry from Trader Joe’s to last me through the whole year. If you cannot find Trader Joe’s then Wewalka would be my next choice.

“Hi, I’m Aswathy! Cooking has always been a passion of mine, and I love exploring new recipes from different corners of the world. While I can’t say I enjoy the cleaning up as much, the joy of creating and sharing delicious dishes makes it all worthwhile. On this blog, you’ll find a collection of recipes, stories, and flavors that inspire me—and I hope they inspire you too! Feel free to try out the recipes, share your thoughts in the comments, and let me know how they turn out in your kitchen.”

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Ingredients

Thaw puff pastry sheets (there are two in a box) according the directions on the box. You can make 16 meat puffs using one box.

24 oz (about 700 grams) beef, cubed
1 tsp. salt

Add beef to the pressure cooker along with 1 tsp. salt and cook for two minutes. You don’t need to add any water since beef releases a lot of water while cooking. Once it is safe to open the cooker, take the lid off and continue cooking until there is about 1/4th cup of stock left in the pot. Once the beef is cool enough to touch, shred the meat in a food processor; about 6 to 7 pulses. Do not over-process. Transfer the shredded beef back to the pressure cooker pan (one less container to wash) and set aside.

0.5 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. black pepper powder
1 tsp. garam masala

Mix all the spices together and keep them aside.

3 tbs. oil
8 ounces of red onions, sliced
3 green chilies, chopped
2 tbs. garlic, chopped
2 tbs. ginger, chopped
3 sprigs of curry leaves, chopped
1 tsp. salt
2 tbs. tomato ketchup
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12 inch non-stick pan over high heat. Add chopped onions, chilies, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and salt to the pan and sauté until onions turn golden brown.

Add mixed spices and cook for another minute, followed by ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

Add shredded beef to the onion mixture and cook until almost all of the moisture has been absorbed. Stir occasionally to ensure everything is well incorporated. If it feels like the beef is too dry, add 3 tablespoons of water and mix well. Make sure the filling has been cooled completely before starting to assemble the puffs.

1 box of puff pastry (two sheets)
1 egg beaten, mixed with 1 tbs. water

Preheat oven to 400 degree F and set the rack in the middle.

Unroll one of the pastry sheets and place the long side parallel to the counter top. If you think the pastry sheet is too soft to the touch, put it back in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes until they firm up. Cut the sheet vertically into 4 equal sections and then make one cut horizontally, which will give you a total of 8 rectangular pieces. Brush all the edges (1/4 inch) of each piece with egg wash. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling to the lower half of each piece of pastry and fold. Firmly press the edges using a fork to seal. Repeat this process with remaining pieces.