Meat Pie
An Aussie icon, this classic pie is made with a shortcrust base and a rich beef mince gravy.
Meat Pie
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon corn flour
3/4 cup beef stock
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon Vegemite
2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
4 individual pie pans
Method
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add ground beef. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, or until browned.
2. Mix corn flour and 1 tablespoon of beef stock to form a paste. Add remaining beef stock. Add stock, sauces, and Vegemite to ground beef. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 8 minutes or until thick. Cool.
3. Preheat oven to 220°C/ 425° F. Place a baking tray into oven to hold pie pans. Grease pie pans.
4. Cut circles from shortcrust pastry 1 1/2 – 2 inches larger than diameter of pie pan. Use to line bases and sides of pans. Fill with ground beef mixture. Brush rims with water.
5. Cut circles from puff pastry the circumference of pie pans. Place over meat. Press to seal. and trim. Brush with egg. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Place pies onto hot tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Serve.
Basic Short-Crust Pastry
INGREDIENTS
145 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter (1/4 pound), cut in 1/8-inch pieces
3 tablespoons ice water
PREPARATION
1. Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Add butter and quickly cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add ice water and mix briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a soft dough. Remove dough, shape into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling.
3. To roll, lightly flour dough and counter. Roll out gradually, periodically letting dough rest for a moment before continuing. This makes rolling easier and will keep dough from shrinking back during baking.
4. Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.
Original recipes found here:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/aussie-meat-pies/e97e5ce8-b7ab-4379-b208-a4f28f642a92
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12884-basic-short-crust-pastry
Marty Made It 