Lebanese Meat Pies (Sfeeha)

These small pies are easy to make and delicious. The leftovers are great for lunch.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 8 pies

Ingredients

• 1 (1 lb)  batch prepared  pizza dough or 1 (1 lb)  store-bought  pizza dough
• 1  lb ground lamb or 1  lb ground beef
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup pine nuts
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1  teaspoon  syrian pepper or 1⁄2 teaspoon  black pepper and 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
2. Cut the pizza dough into 8 pieces, form the pieces into balls, cover and let sit.
3. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat, onion, and pine nuts and cook until the meat is browned and the onions are transparent.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir until completely combined, and remove from heat. Taste and add more tomato paste or seasonings if needed. Set aside.
5. To form the pies: Flatten a ball of dough into a disk. Roll out into a circle about 6" wide and 1/8" thick.
6. Place some of the filling - about 1/4 cup - into the center of the dough.
7. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling into a triangle, pinching the seams to seal them and leaving a small opening in the center. (You can also fold it into a square, or spread the filling out to the edges and leave the pies flat.).
8. Place the pies on a lightly-oiled baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the dough has started to brown.