Svaneti is the highest inhabited corner of Georgia, a region of stone defense towers, deep snow and long winters, and kubdari is the dish its people are proudest of. A soft yeast dough is wrapped around small pieces of beef and pork that have been cut by hand, never minced, then mixed with onion, garlic, chili and Svan salt, the local blend of salt pounded with herbs and spices. The parcel is flattened into a wide disc and baked until the crust is golden and the meat inside has cooked in its own juices. In 2015 it was inscribed on Georgia's list of intangible cultural heritage.

Where Adjarian khachapuri arrives as theater, kubdari is quieter and more serious: a mountain meal, cut into wedges and eaten hot with no sauce and nothing else at all. The knife work takes a little patience. The reward is a filling with real texture and pockets of meat juice that soak into the crust, the sort of thing that makes a grandstand sandwich look like it is not trying.

The dough

Ingredients

• 4 cups (500 g) all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (4 g) instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) warm water
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sunflower oil

Method

1. In the large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Pour in the warm water and oil and stir with a spoon, then with your hand, until all the flour is gathered into a rough ball.
2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 minutes: push it away with the heel of your hand, fold it back over itself, turn it a quarter turn and repeat.
3. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with the towel and leave it in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.

Quick Svan salt

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway or dill seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marigold petals
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes

Method

1. Put the coarse salt and the caraway or dill seed in the mortar and grind until the seeds are broken. Add the garlic and pound to a paste, then work in the coriander, blue fenugreek, marigold and chili flakes. If you have no mortar, grate the garlic finely and mix everything together on a board, pressing with the flat of a knife.

The meat filling

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) beef chuck
• 12 oz (340 g) pork shoulder
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cold water

Method

1. Put the beef and pork on a plate in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes while the dough rises. They should be firm at the edges but not frozen solid.
2. Cut the meat into thin slices, then into thin strips, then across into tiny cubes about 1/4 inch (5 mm), roughly the size of a pea. Take your time and keep your fingertips curled under, away from the blade.
3. In the medium bowl, mix the chopped meat with the onions, all of the Svan salt paste, the black pepper and the cold water. Squeeze and mix it with your hand for 2 minutes so the seasoning is spread evenly and the onions release their juice.

Shaping and baking

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line both baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Divide the dough into 2 equal balls. On a floured counter, roll one ball into a circle about 12 inches (30 cm) across. Pile half the filling in the center and spread it into a circle about 7 inches (18 cm) across, leaving a wide border.
3. Lift the edges of the dough up over the filling in pleats, a little at a time, until they meet in the center. Pinch and twist them together firmly to seal, like closing a bag. Turn the parcel over so the seam is underneath.
4. With your palms, then gently with the rolling pin, press the parcel out into a flat disc about 11 inches (28 cm) across and 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. If the dough tears, pinch a scrap over the hole. Slide it onto a lined baking sheet and cut a small slit in the center with the knife to let steam out. Repeat with the second ball.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, swapping the trays between the racks halfway through, until both breads are deep golden on top and underneath.
6. Brush the tops at once with the melted butter. Let the breads rest on the wire rack for 5 minutes, then cut each into 6 wedges with a large knife.

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