Lamb Börek

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, salt, and ground lamb. Break the lamb into small crumbles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 8 minutes).

Add the minced garlic, currants, pine nuts, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and allspice. Cook and stir for another minute to release their fragrant aromas.

Pour in the tomato sauce and add water, stir to combine, and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the lamb mixture has thickened and most of the liquid is gone, about 20-30 minutes. The mixture should be moist but not soupy. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

While the lamb filling cools, prepare the egg wash. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, Greek yogurt, water, and melted butter. Whisk thoroughly until smooth and well combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly butter a round baking pan or sheet pan.

Lay 2 sheets of phyllo dough on your work surface. Keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. Lightly sprinkle some of the egg wash on top of the phyllo and spread evenly using a pastry brush. Layer on 2 more sheets, one at a time, brushing more egg wash over each sheet.

Arrange about 1/3 of the cooled lamb filling along one wide edge of the layered phyllo. Starting from the filling side, roll the pastry up tightly. Place the roll against the edge of the prepared pan. Brush the top of the roll with more egg wash.

Repeat the shaping and filling process with the remaining phyllo, egg wash, and lamb filling. Wrap the rolls along and inside the first roll, filling the pan in a spiral pattern. Brush the entire surface of the börek with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds.

Bake in the preheated oven until the börek is golden brown and crisp, approximately 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

While the börek is baking, prepare the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, finely sliced mint leaves, lemon juice, and crushed garlic. Mix in enough water, one teaspoon at a time, to achieve your desired consistency for dipping. Season to taste with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Cut the cooled börek into wedges and serve warm with the refreshing yogurt sauce.