INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 small dried red chilies, stems removed, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 pound ground American lamb
1 cup feta, crumbled
1/2 16-ounce package frozen phyllo dough (1 roll), thawed
½ bunch cilantro, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped, divided
½ bunch mint, roughly torn
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and chilies and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, and sugar, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 more minute.
Add the lamb and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until well browned and starting to crisp along the edges, about 8 minutes. USDA recommends ground lamb reach an internal temperature of 160F.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the feta.
Set a 10-inch stainless steel or cast-iron pan on the counter and brush it with olive oil. Take two sheets of phyllo dough and carefully alternate the direction of the layers so the pan is well covered. Continue with the remaining phyllo. Carefully press the phyllo to the center of the pan, creating a flat bottom, then spoon the lamb into the pan in an even layer. Using the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, brush the exposed layers of phyllo, crinkling them in to create a circle around the lamb, leaving the center exposed.
Bake until the phyllo is golden brown and crispy, about 40 minutes. Carefully slide the pie out and place it on a flat serving dish. Serve the pie topped with the cilantro leaves and mint. Lamb phyllo pie can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days, but as a warning, the phyllo won’t be as crispy.