Large Belish
Description
This recipe won't take much time. There is probably no family in Tatarstan that doesn't bake this delicious pie. It is usually made for the holiday table, when the whole family gathers together. Every cook has her own version of this pie. There is no fixed ratio of meat, onion, and potato—everything is adjusted to taste. To make the pie the traditional way, you should use three kinds of meat: veal, mutton, and goose. Even if you skip that, the pie will still be very tasty, and the step‑by‑step recipe will help you make it. Serve warm or chilled. Ideal with tea.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, vegetable oil, and an egg.
- 3
Step 3
Add flour, salt, baking powder.
- 4
Step 4
Knead the dough by hand for about 5–7 minutes. Place it in a bag for 20–30 minutes; you can refrigerate the dough for this time.
- 5
Step 5
While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Dice the beef into small cubes. It is easier to do this when the beef is slightly firm from partial freezing (half-frozen).
- 6
Step 6
Finely dice the onion and add it to the beef.
- 7
Step 7
Cut the potato into small cubes and add it to the beef as well.
- 8
Step 8
Mix all the filling ingredients together and season with pepper. Do not salt right away; salt just before you put the filling in the pie so it does not release its juices too early.
- 9
Step 9
Divide the dough into 4 portions: one large — for the bottom of the pie, one medium — for the “lid,” and two small — one for decoration, one to cover the hole in the pie.
- 10
Step 10
Roll out the largest piece of dough into a sheet larger across than your baking tin’s diameter.
- 11
Step 11
Lay the sheet of dough in a pan that has been greased beforehand with vegetable oil. Leave the ends free so you can close the pie completely.
- 12
Step 12
Spread out all the filling; don’t forget to salt it before you spread it out.
- 13
Step 13
Cover the dough with a circle of pastry smaller in diameter, pinch the edges together well, and make an opening in the centre through which you will pour broth. From a small piece of dough shape a lid, brush it with vegetable oil so it does not dry out while baking.
- 14
Step 14
From a small piece of dough cut out decorative elements and arrange them on the pie.
- 15
Step 15
Before baking, grease the dough with vegetable oil. Bake for 1 hour at 180 °C.
- 16
Step 16
After an hour, remove the pie and pour the broth into the pie once or twice. Continue baking the pie for another 1 hour 40 minutes. If you are worried that the pie is browning too quickly, you can cover it with foil. Check that the filling is done through a hole in the pie before you finally take the pie out of the oven.
- 17
Step 17
Brush the pie with butter. Cover the pie with a towel and leave it for another 20 minutes; during this time the crust will soften and the filling will finish setting.
- 18
Step 18
Three long-awaited hours have passed, and the pie is ready to serve.
- 19
Step 19
When serving, cut open the pie crust, divide among plates, spoon out the filling and place it alongside. The pie turned out incredibly delicious and very filling!