Not Your Mama’s Meat Pie

I have been a freelance writer for more than 4 years, a mom for more than 2 years, and a wife for just under a year. I am currently a student in a cooking and catering program with the intention of expanding my knowledge of the culinary business. I then plan to take this knowledge to properly write about and critique restaurants and food. Writing to you from Niagara Falls, NY, thanks for joining me on the ride!

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(Unless your mama is an Aussie Lass)

Here is an Australian recipe for Meat Pie. There are several recipes out there including classic meat pie, French meat pie, and Nigerian meat pie. I chose the Australian recipe as I loved the thought of a kangaroo meat pie. Though, to my disappointment, this recipe is not made with kangaroo as the choice of meat. In fact, it uses some equally delicious, beef chuck! Yum!

Aussie Meat Pie recipe

Meat Pie recipe!

Ingredients

Pie base

1 1/2 batches homemade shortcrust pastry
3 frozen shortcrust pastry sheets, thawed (300g/10oz)
2 refrigerated pie crusts

Pie lid

3 frozen puff pastry sheets, just thawed (300g/10oz)
1 egg, lightly whisked

Filling

1.25 kg / 2.5lb beef chuck , 2.5cm/1″ cubes
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp flour, plain/all-purpose
1 1/4 cups (315 ml) beef stock, low sodium
3 cups (750 ml) red wine, dry full-bodied
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Filling

Sprinkle beef with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy-based pot over high heat. Add 1/3 of the beef and brown aggressively all over, then remove. Repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if needed.
Turn the stove down to medium-high. Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes.
Add flour, stir through.
Slowly add stock while stirring constantly. Once flour is dissolved, add wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, pepper, and bay leaves.
Return beef into the pot, cover with lid, adjust heat so it’s simmering gently.
Simmer for 1 hr 45 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat slightly and simmer 30 – 45 minutes, stirring regularly, or until beef is fork-tender and liquid reduces down to a thickish gravy, just about covering the beef. Do not reduce liquid too much – thickens more as it cools & in pie.
Remove from the stove, cover, and cool filling

Pastry

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Cut out 6 rounds from the shortcrust pastry, then drape pastry into pie tins – don’t stretch and pull pastry, causing shrinkage.
Place pies on a tray. Top each pie with large sheets of parchment/baking paper and fill with pie weights
Bake for 20 minutes, remove, then use paper overhang to carefully remove pie weights.
Return crusts into the oven for 5 minutes or until the base is lightly golden and dry. Remove from the oven.

Assemble pies

Fill pies with cooled filling, push down to fill. Should be slightly mounded.
Cut rounds from partially thawed puff pastry – cut them slightly larger than the edge of the cooked pastry bases.
Brush edge of pie crusts with egg, then place lid on filling, pressing edges to seal puff pastry to the shortcrust pastry.
Brush lids with egg, then cut a 1cm / 0.5″ incision in the middle using a small knife.
Bake for 30 minutes or until deep golden and puffed.
Devour hot and fresh, topped with tomato sauce or ketchup if desired!

You can find other meat pie recipes (including the three I mentioned at the beginning of the article) at the following sites:

Each of them will have the same basic ingredients including some form of pastry dough (which by definition makes it a pie) and some form of meat. The other elements of the recipes will vary because different cultures have different methods of cooking as well as different spices, herbs, etc.