Samsa (Uzbek Lamb Pastries)

Method

1. 1Make the dough: mix flour and 1 tsp salt, add the water gradually and knead until smooth. It should be firm, not soft. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
2. 2Roll the dough into a very thin rectangle, brush generously with melted butter, roll it up into a log, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Chilling locks in the layers.
3. 3Make the filling: dice the lamb (shoulder or leg with some fat) finely with a knife — never put it through a mincer. Dice the onion equally fine. Mix with cumin, pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Raw filling is traditional; it steams juicy inside the pastry.
4. 4Cut the log into 12 equal pieces — with a log about 24 cm long, each is about 2 cm thick. Stand each piece on its cut side, and roll out into a circle about 3 mm thick. Roll the edges thinner than the centre.
5. 5Place about 80 g of filling in the centre of each round — two heaped tablespoons — pull up three sides to form a triangle, and pinch the seams firmly shut so no juice leaks out.
6. 6Place seam-side down on a lined tray. Brush with beaten egg and scatter sesame seeds over.
7. 7Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 35–40 minutes until the pastry is deep golden. Cut one samsa open to check: the meat should have no pink left and the juices should run clear (71°C in the centre if you have a thermometer). Serve hot.