A meat pie is a pie with a filling of meat and often other savory ingredients. They are popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ghana, Nigeria, Europe, New Zealand, Canada, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Things You’ll Need
- Large bowl
- Rolling pin
- Large cutting board
- Paring knife
- Measuring cup
- Fork
- Knife
- Pie dish
- Baking sheet
- Large skillet
Ingredients for the crust
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup shortening or butter
- 4 tbsp. cold water
- Ingredients for the Filling
- 1 cup chopped potato
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 tbs. margarine or butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or sage, crushed
- 1 1/4 cup beef broth
- 1 1/2 cup chopped carrots and peas
- 2 cups ground beef.
Making the Dough
Make the pie crust.
Mix flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/4 tsp salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Cut the butter or shortening into the flour.
All different methods of cutting the butter into the flour are all equally effective with the right amount of elbow grease.Keep the butter at a cool temperature and begin by cutting large chunks. Keep cutting your chunks down until the butter is mixed in thoroughly. READ ALSO: HOW TO MAKE DOUGHNUT.
Mix cold water into the flour
Pouring cold water one tablespoon at a time into your flour will help you integrate the water gently, allowing the dough to form loosely. The mixture should just barely come together and form a loose ball, and shouldn’t be damp or wet looking.
Be very gentle
The key to a flaky crust is to make sure you don’t overwork the dough. If you overwork the dough, the crust will become tough and difficult to handle.Your mixture will form soft lumps. These lumps should be moist enough that they will hold together if you gently press them between your fingers.
Use your hands to form the dough into a ball.
Very gently, pull the flour into a ball and then split the ball into two equal portions. The recipe should make two portions, one will be the bottom of your pie, and the other will be the top cover.It’s usually a good idea to chill the dough in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out and bake with it. If you’ve already got the oven pre-heated and you’re anxious to get started, putting it in the freezer can be a good way to get the temperature down quickly.
Roll the crust.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands and roll from the center to the edges with a rolling pin dusted with flour. Aim to form a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
Preparing the filling
Cook your meat.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 cups ground beef and 1/2 cup chopped onions. Season with thyme, cloves, chopped garlic (if desired) and salt.Cook over medium heat, stirring to crumble the meat and mix in the spices, until the meat is evenly browned.If you’d like a more flavourful pie, you can also use a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg as seasoning.
Discard the grease or fat.
Once your meat is cooked through, use a wooden spoon or spatula to push your meat to one side of the pan and tilt the pan away, letting the grease pool on the other side. Spoon it grease out, or carefully tilt your pan over a grease safe container to dispose of it.Do not dump grease into the kitchen sink or toilet bowl or even use hot water to wash it down the drain. This allows grease to get into the sewage system or harden in your pipes.
READ ALSO:HOW TO MAKE APPLE PIE
Add the vegetables and beef broth.
Chop 1 potato into small pieces and add it to the skillet with 1 1/4 cup beef broth to start. Pour in 1 1/2 cup carrots and peas. The beef broth will keep your filling moist once the grease has been drained out.
You can peel your potato if desired.
If you want something different, try using a sweet potato instead.
You can also add more or less beef broth as needed, but don’t let your filling get too soupy.
Making your pie
Making a whole pie
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Assemble a whole pie.
Roll your pie crust around the rolling pin. Start from one edge and carefully wrap your crust around the pin. Transfer your crust to your pie dish by carefully unrolling it from your pin and laying it down into the dish. Avoid stretching the pastry.
Trim the crust.
Trim to about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate and fold the extra pastry under to create a thicker crust on the rim.
Fill your pie.
To assemble your pie, slowly pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie dish. Level it off and don’t overfill your dish.
Cover your pie.
Roll out an additional circle of dough or pastry and carefully place it over your pie. Pinch the edges of the bottom layer and top layer of dough together and create the knuckle-like pie edge ridges. Trim off any excess using a sharp knife.
Make a few slits in the top.
Use a sharp knife to cut some vents into the top crust to allow the steam to escape when cooking.
Brush the top of your crust with egg or melted butter. This will help keep the crust moist and prevent cracking.
Bake your whole pie.
Place your pie onto an oven rack in the center of your oven and cook for about 45 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden brown.
Making individual pies
Cut your dough.
Roll out your dough and cut it into 6 even pieces, about 5 ounces each.Roll the pieces into 6 individual balls. Dust your workstation with flour to prevent dough from sticking.
Roll out your dough.
Roll your pieces into about 8-inch flat circles. If your dough is very warm, it may be difficult to handle, cool it in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes if necessary.
Fill your individual pies.
Evenly divide your filling into about 3/4 cup per individual pie and scoop it onto half of each dough circle. Carefully fold the dough over to cover the filling and use your fingers or a fork to press the edges together.
Slice slits into the tops of each pocket.
Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of your pies. This allows steam to escape when baking and helps to prevent the pie from cracking or bursting in the oven.Brush the top of your pockets with egg or melted butter to keep the top moist.
Bake your pies.
Bake your pies on a lightly oiled or non-stick baking sheet in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown and flakey.
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