Ground Beef and Potato Börek Rolls

This recipe is my mom’s, and I’m sharing it here exactly as she has made it for years. It’s the kind of börek she never measures anymore because her hands already know what to do. When I asked her for the ingredients, she had to pause and think, trying to put into words something she’s cooked on autopilot for most of her life. Simple, familiar, and comforting, this is the börek I grew up eating and still make the same way today.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 250 g ground beef

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 4 medium potatoes, grated (raw)

• Sunflower oil or olive oil

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Parsley if you like

For inside and on top:

• 2 eggs

• 6 to 7 tablespoons sunflower oil

  
  

• 3 yufka sheets

Instructions

Prepare the filling

Warm a little oil in a pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in the grated raw potatoes and let them soften for a few minutes, mixing so everything cooks evenly. Season with salt, black pepper, and parsley if using. Set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare the egg mixture

Whisk the eggs with the sunflower oil in a small bowl. You will use this both between the layers and for brushing on top.

Assemble

Place one yufka sheet on your counter and bring the sides toward the center so the sheet folds over itself and forms a sturdier rectangle. Lightly brush the surface with the egg mixture. Spread a line of filling along one long edge and roll it up into a firm log. Repeat the same folding and rolling with the remaining yufka sheets. Arrange the rolls on a baking tray and brush the tops generously with the leftover egg mixture.

Bake

Bake at 200°C in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crisp.