Baked Kefalonian Meat Pie with Rice and Olive Oil Pastry

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Kefalonian meat pie is a baked pie from the Greek island of Kefalonia, filled with tender beef, chicken and rice and wrapped in a thin olive oil pastry. The filling is savory and soft, with a little nutmeg and grated cheese, and the crust turns golden and crisp at the edges.

Recipes change from family to family, and many use a mix of meats. This one is a simplified home version with beef and chicken, so you don’t need anything hard to find.

It takes about 3 hours 15 minutes, but most of that is simmering time when you can do something else. The dough rests while the meat cooks, and you can make the filling a day ahead.

One thing to watch is the filling. Keep it moist but not loose, because a runny filling makes the bottom crust soft.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Tender beef and chicken with soft rice in every bite
• The olive oil pastry rolls easily and needs no butter
• Most of the time is hands-off simmering
• Cuts into clean squares and reheats well

Ingredient Notes

• beef chuck: Chuck has enough fat to stay soft after a long simmer. Beef shank or brisket also work, but lean cuts like round turn dry.
• bone-in chicken thighs: The bones give the broth more flavor, and thighs stay moist when shredded. Remove the skin before simmering so the broth isn’t greasy.
• kefalotyri: This is a hard, salty Greek cheese. Pecorino Romano or Parmesan is a fair substitute, and the amount of salt in the recipe stays the same.
• short-grain rice: Medium-grain or Arborio rice works too. Avoid long-grain basmati, which stays separate and doesn’t hold the filling together as well.
• nutmeg: Use freshly grated if you can. A small amount is enough, since too much will take over the meat.

Baked Kefalonian Meat Pie with Rice and Olive Oil Pastry

Beef and chicken are simmered until tender, shredded, and mixed with rice, parsley and cheese. The filling is baked in an olive oil pastry for 45 minutes at 190 C / 375 F and cut into 12 squares.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 12 squares

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 508

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Olive oil pastry

• 450 g all-purpose flour plus a little for rolling
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 90 ml olive oil (6 tbsp)
• 160 ml lukewarm water

Meat and broth

• 500 g beef chuck cut into 3 cm cubes
• 600 g bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
• 1 onion (about 150 g); quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt for the simmering water
• 1.5 l water

Filling

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion (about 150 g); finely chopped
• 150 g short-grain rice
• 400 ml strained meat broth 300 ml for the rice, 100 ml for the filling
• 30 g fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup); finely chopped
• 80 g kefalotyri finely grated
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten

To assemble

• 1 tbsp olive oil for the baking dish
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water

Method

 

Dough and meat

1. Mix the flour and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the 90 ml olive oil and 160 ml lukewarm water, stir until it comes together, then knead on the counter for 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. If it sticks to your hands, add 1 tbsp flour at a time. Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes while the meat simmers.
2. Put the beef, quartered onion, bay leaf and 1 tsp salt in the 5-quart / 4.7 L pot and add the 1.5 L water. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam for the first 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, set the lid slightly open, and cook for 45 minutes.
3. Add the chicken thighs and simmer for 30 more minutes, until the beef is tender when pierced with a fork and the chicken pulls easily from the bone. Lift the meat onto a board and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve. Measure out 400 ml of broth and save the rest for soup. Let the meat cool while you cook the rice.

Filling

1. Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in the 3-quart / 2.8 L saucepan over medium heat. Cook the chopped onion for 6 to 7 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Stir in the rice for 1 minute, then add 300 ml of hot broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 12 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is almost tender with a slight bite. Tip it into a large bowl.
2. Discard the chicken bones and shred the chicken. Pull or chop the beef into pieces about 1 cm. Add all the meat to the rice with the parsley, kefalotyri, nutmeg, pepper and 1/2 tsp salt, then stir in 100 ml of broth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the 2 beaten eggs.
3. Press a spoonful of filling in your hand. It should hold together without dripping. If liquid pools in the bowl, leave it behind when you fill the pie.

Assemble and bake

1. Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F with a rack in the lower third. Brush the 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cut the dough into two pieces, one about two-thirds and one about one-third. Roll the larger piece on a floured counter to about 3 mm thick and line the dish, letting it hang over the edges by about 2 cm.
2. Spoon in the filling and press it level with the back of a spoon. Roll the smaller piece of dough to a rectangle slightly larger than the dish and lay it on top. Fold the overhang over the lid and press the edges with a fork to seal. Prick the top all over with a fork and brush with the egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp water.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the edges are crisp. Rest the pie in the dish on a rack for 15 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.

Notes

• Make the dough first so it rests while the meat simmers.
• Save the leftover broth for soup or to cook rice.
• Taste the filling before adding the eggs, since kefalotyri is already salty.
• Let the pie rest 15 minutes or the squares will fall apart.

Tips for Success

• Skim the foam from the first 5 minutes of simmering so the broth stays clear and the rice tastes clean.
• Cook the rice until it’s almost tender but still has a slight bite, because it keeps softening in the oven.
• Let the filling cool for 10 minutes before stirring in the eggs, or the heat will scramble them.
• Pull or chop the beef into small pieces by hand instead of using a food processor, which turns it into paste.
• Bake on the lower oven rack so the bottom crust browns and crisps instead of staying pale.

Variations

• Replace half of the beef with 250 g cubed pork shoulder and simmer it with the beef from the start.
• Use pecorino Romano or Parmesan in place of kefalotyri if you can’t find it, with the same amount of salt.
• Add 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon along with the nutmeg for a warmer, slightly sweet background note.

Storage and Reheating

Kefalonian meat pie keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Let it cool, then cut it into squares and store them in a covered container. Get leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours of baking.

To reheat, put the squares on a sheet pan and warm them in a 160 C / 325 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot in the middle and the crust is crisp again.

You can freeze the baked squares for up to 2 months. Wrap each one in parchment and then foil, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat the same way. You can also make the filling a day ahead, keep it covered in the fridge, and assemble and bake the next day.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the pie warm after its 15-minute rest, or at room temperature. A square on its own is a full meal, since the filling already has meat and rice.

I like it with a Greek salad of tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and olives, with a squeeze of lemon on the side. A spoonful of plain thick yogurt on the plate also works well with the rich filling.

FAQ

Why is the bottom of my Kefalonian meat pie soggy?

A soggy bottom almost always means the filling was too wet. Press a spoonful in your hand before filling the pie, and it should hold together without dripping. Bake on the lower rack, and let the filling cool before adding the eggs so it doesn’t release extra steam.

Can I use lamb shoulder instead of beef in Kefalonian meat pie?

Yes, use 500 g lamb shoulder cut into 3 cm cubes. It usually needs about the same time as chuck, so check it at 45 minutes before you add the chicken. It’s ready when a fork slides in with no resistance. The flavor is stronger, so I’d keep the chicken.

Can I freeze Kefalonian meat pie after baking?

Yes, freeze the baked squares for up to 2 months. Wrap each one in parchment and then foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat at 160 C / 325 F for 15 to 20 minutes, so the pastry crisps up again instead of turning soft.

What goes well with Kefalonian meat pie?

A Greek salad with tomato, cucumber, olives and a squeeze of lemon goes well with it. The fresh, sharp flavors balance the rich filling. A spoonful of plain thick yogurt on the side also works. You don’t need potatoes or bread, since the pie already has rice.

How do I make Kefalonian meat pie dairy free?

Leave out the kefalotyri. The olive oil pastry has no dairy, so the cheese is the only change. Add about 1/4 tsp extra salt to make up for the cheese, and taste the filling before the eggs go in. The pie will be a little less sharp but still full of flavor.

How is Kefalonian meat pie different from other Greek meat pies?

Many Greek meat pies use phyllo and a spiced ground meat filling. This Kefalonian-style pie uses cooked pieces of beef and chicken mixed with rice, and it’s closed in a sturdy olive oil dough instead of phyllo. That gives you a sliceable pie with a firm crust.

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