This recipe from The Armenian Kitchen’s Robyn and Doug Kalajian for Detroit-Style Meat Boregs is adapted from a recipe by Dolly Matoian at St. John’s Women’s Guild in Southfield, Mich. Dolly’s original recipe can be found in the Guild’s outstanding cookbook, Armenian Cuisine: Preserving Our Heritage.
“A little over 10 years ago, the 111th Diocesan Assembly and Clergy Conference was held in Boca Raton, Fla. It was a whirlwind week of events with hundreds of attendees from mid-western, east coast, and southern states. In addition to the planned sessions and meetings, guests participated in luncheons, a kef time (featuring the sensational music of Johnny Berberian), area sightseeing, and a gala banquet. The week-long gathering culminated with a lavish, elegant farewell Sunday Brunch,” says Robyn.
“Many of our attendees rolled up their sleeves alongside the local parishioners to create the massive menu for the brunch. Serving stations were decorated and set with many assorted salads, yalanchi, lahmajoun, cheese boregs, meat boregs, and hummus. A carving station featured sliced-to-order roast beef, ham and turkey. Desserts included kourabia cookies, paklava, semolina cakes, fruit kabobs, and more. The beverage station served tasty mimosas (orange juice and champagne), plain orange juice, and coffee to help wash everything down.”
“For this dish, instead of using phyllo dough or puff pastry, the dough was more chorag-like. The meat filling had a nice ‘kick’ from the blend of black pepper and cayenne pepper in the filling. I got to sample a test boreg as it came out of the oven – it was soft, warm, and so delicious. I have made an attempt to break down the large-group recipe for the home kitchen but be warned — I have not tested this version. The new ingredient amounts below represent 1/8th the original recipe measurements,” adds Robyn.
“This reduced recipe should yield about 40 to 45 boregs. I suggest having one or two extra pairs of hands to assist in the kitchen. It’s important to prepare the meat mixture one day in advance. Don’t be discouraged by the lengthy recipe. One thing is for sure, I can appreciate the time and effort the very talented Detroit ladies put into this recipe, and I truly did savor every wonderful bite,” she says.
Here’s Robyn’s (untested) home version recipe:
