Modica Pastieri

Takes 240 minutes | Serves 8 |

Ingredients

250 g re-milled durum wheat semolina
1 tbs olive oil
150 ml water
2 g dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
4 g salt
250 g ground pork
250 g ground beef
4 units eggs
1 unit garlic clove
0.5 unit lemon
70 g caciocavallo cheese
some to taste extra virgin olive oil
some to taste salt
some to taste black pepper

Steps

Dough

• Dissolve yeast in 150 ml of water with a teaspoon of sugar.
• Place the flour in a bowl, add the lard, and start mixing, gradually adding the yeast water until the dough is compact and soft but not wet. Add more water if necessary.
• Incorporate salt and knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Grease a bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 3-4 hours until it doubles in size.

Filling

• Crush a garlic clove and sauté with some extra virgin olive oil.
• Add the meat, brown it over high heat with the juice of half a lemon, salt, and pepper.
• Once cooked, transfer the meat to a bowl to cool, then mix in the eggs, caciocavallo cheese, and plenty of grated parsley.

Assembly and Baking

• Roll out the dough thinly and cut into 8-10 cm discs using a pastry cutter or a plate and a knife.
• Place some of the meat mixture in the center of each disc, lift the dough to form a 'bottle neck', folding the edges towards the same side.
• Beat the eggs with caciocavallo cheese, season with a pinch of black pepper, and spoon a tablespoon of this mixture into the center of each pastiere.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (ventilated mode) for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature. They can be stored for 2-3 days.