Leftover steak deserved better than another sandwich
These began as a way to use leftover steak. We mixed a quick Greek-yoghurt dough, filled it with steak, cheese, pineapple, jalapeño and BBQ sauce, and cooked the pockets on trays in the smoker. The combination is sweet, smoky, hot and just messy enough when you pull one apart.
Call them steak pockets, hand pies or whatever you like. They were never trying to be traditional pizza pockets.
Makes: 8–10 pockets
Dough rest: 10–15 minutes
Cook: Until the pastry is set, browned and cooked through; use the visual cues below
Ingredients
Greek-yoghurt dough — the quantities used in our original plan
- 3 cups plain flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups Greek yoghurt
- Extra flour for rolling, as needed
Filling — flexible guide amounts
- About 300–400 g cooked leftover steak, chopped small
- About 200–250 g melting cheese, grated
- About 1 cup pineapple pieces, well drained and cut small
- 1–2 jalapeños, finely sliced, according to heat preference
- About ⅓–½ cup BBQ sauce, enough to coat lightly without flooding the dough
Method
- Make the dough. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the Greek yoghurt and work with a dough hook on low for 2–3 minutes, just until a soft dough comes together. If it is very sticky, dust in a little extra flour. Cover and rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Prepare the filling. Chop the steak into small pieces so each bite gets some. Drain and pat the pineapple dry. If it seems very wet, briefly char or warm it in a hot pan, then cool it before assembly. Toss the steak with just enough BBQ sauce to coat it; keep the cheese, pineapple and jalapeño ready separately.
- Shape. Divide the dough into 8–10 pieces. Roll each into a roughly round or oval sheet. Put a little cheese, steak, pineapple and jalapeño on one half, leaving a clean border. Resist the urge to overfill.
- Seal. Fold over, press out excess air and pinch the edges firmly. Crimp with a fork if you like. Put the pockets on lined trays and cut a small steam vent in each top.
- Smoke and cook. Put the trays in a preheated smoker at a baking temperature of around 180–200°C. Cook until the dough is browned and firm underneath and the cheese is hot, checking from about 18–25 minutes. Tray, dough thickness and smoker temperature will change the time, so check the pastry rather than relying on the clock. Rotate trays if your cooker has hot spots.
- Rest briefly. Leave them for a few minutes before opening. The filling will be very hot straight off the smoker.
What makes them work
- Keep the pineapple dry. Extra juice makes it harder to seal the pockets and can leave a damp base.
- Go easy on sauce inside. Put more BBQ sauce on the table for dipping rather than pouring it into the dough.
- Use cooked steak. This recipe is built around leftovers; the smoker heats the filling while baking the pocket.
- Give each pocket room on the tray. Airflow helps the pastry colour and set.
The smoker is part of the fun, but the filling is the real argument starter. Pineapple belongs here.
More from our cooks: Browse the Low Slow Blog for smoker guides and more recipes from the pit.