Spicy Harissa Meat Pies

1. Combine chile peppers, garlic, olive oil, chili powder, coriander, cumin, lime granules, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until blended. Set aside 1/2 cup harissa and store remainder in the refrigerator for another use.

2. Sift flour, chili powder, cumin, and sea salt for the pastry into the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and shortening and pulse until crumbly. Pour cold beer in a little at a time, with the processor running, until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the sides.

3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured silicone pastry mat and roll to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut dough into eight 8-inch circles and cover with waxed paper or a damp cloth while you prepare the meat filling. (If refrigerating dough overnight, let it rest on the counter for at least 15 minutes before using.)

4. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat; stir in onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef, salt, pepper, cumin, and thyme. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup harissa. Add bread crumbs, beef stock, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has been absorbed and filling is moist but not watery, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the stove and set aside to cool.

5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

6. Mix beer and egg together in a small bowl.

7. Uncover the dough circles and place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the meat filling in the center of each circle, leaving a clean margin of dough all the way around. Moisten the edges of the circles with the beer-egg mixture. Fold dough in half, enclosing the filling, and pinch edges closed with a fork. Lightly brush each pastry with beer-egg mixture and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

8. Bake in the preheated oven until pastries are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Cook's Notes:

Leftover harissa can be used on crackers with cream cheese, on meats, or used as a marinade.

Using a good quality unbleached flour makes a major difference in how they turn out!

Do not use any substitutes for butter in the pastry.

Editor's Note:

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of harissa. The actual amount of harissa consumed will vary.