Who doesn't love meat pies? If you're not a vegetarian, you'll surely agree that meat pies are a great treat to serve on any occasion! Interestingly, the serving portion can also be adjusted to your needs. If the pie is being served at your cousin's wedding, try making it in a mini size so that it's easier for guests to eat. On the other hand, if the pie is going to accompany a large family dinner, try making it large with a solid filling! Want to know the full recipe? Read on for this article!
Ingredients
Pie Skin
- 160 grams of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 75 grams of shortening (often called white butter) or regular butter
- 4 tbsp. cold water
Pie Stuffing
- 180 grams of potatoes, cut into squares
- 100 grams of onions, coarsely chopped
- 3 tbsp. margarine or butter
- 50 grams of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. Dried thyme or sage leaves, finely chopped
- 80 ml. meat broth
- 300 grams of peas and carrots, roughly chopped
- 450 grams ground beef
Step
Method 1 of 5: Making Pie Crust Dough
Step 1. Make the pie crust dough
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
Step 2. Add the butter or shortening to the flour and salt mixture
Remember, the key to a crispy pie crust lies in the butter and flour processing. Make sure you just using cold butter or shortening; Place the cold butter or shortening in a bowl of flour, then chop the butter until it forms pea-sized grains. Remember, pie crust dough has a crumb texture. Don't be tempted to add water, as this texture is necessary for a crispy pie crust.
- Use a food processor. The easiest way to chop butter is to use a food processor; Put the butter and flour and salt mixture in a food processor, then process the skin dough for 1-2 minutes or until the butter forms small particles.
- Use a pastry knife. A pastry knife is the perfect tool for quickly chopping butter without ruining the texture. The way it works is also very easy: all you have to do is chop the butter in the flour until it's crumbly and grainy in texture. If you use this method, the dough shouldn't take too long to process.
- Use a fork or two knives. Don't have a pastry knife or food processor? Do not worry; You can still chop the dough with the back of a fork, two kitchen knives, or the back of a stainless steel spatula.
- If using white butter or shortening, simply use your fingers to crush the flour-covered butter. White butter is a type of solid fat that won't melt easily when exposed to the heat of your hands or the room where you're cooking; As a result, the texture will remain solid even if crushed by hand.
Step 3. Pour cold water into the flour and butter mixture
Gradually pouring in cold water (about 1 tablespoon each) will help the flour absorb the water better; as a result, your pie crust dough will be easier to shape. After that, press the dough and form it into a large lump. Don't knead it; The dough that is formed should have a dry texture and not stick to your hands.
- Do not over-process the dough. Remember, pie crust dough contains wheat flour; if kneaded too long, wheat flour will form more and more gluten which risks making the dough hard and difficult to work with.
- The pie crust should be crumbly and grainy, but moist and flexible enough to make it easy to shape.
Step 4. Roll out the dough with your hands
Very carefully, shape the pie crust dough into a large ball, then divide the dough into two equal parts. The recipe listed above should make two pie crusts; one crust to cover the bottom of the pie, and another to cover the surface of the pie.
- Put the skin mixture in the refrigerator until it's time to process. If your oven is already preheated, try putting the finished crust in the freezer so that it cools down quickly.
- If the dough is going to be stored for a long time, put it in a plastic clip, seal the ends tightly, and store it in the freezer until it's time to use it. When going to use, soften the texture of the skin dough by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 5. Roll out the pie crust dough
Place the dough on a table that has been dusted with a little flour, press it with your hands until it is flat, then roll out the dough (starting from the center) until it reaches a diameter of 30 cm. Make sure you also sprinkle some flour on the rolling pin!
Method 2 of 5: Making the Pie Stuffing
Step 1. Saute the meat
Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the temperature of the oil is hot, saute the onions and ground beef; Season the stir-fried meat with garlic, chopped thyme leaves, and salt. Saute the meat until it is evenly cooked and the color turns brown.
To add flavor to the pie, try adding a pinch of cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder to the beef stir fry
Step 2. Drain excess oil
Once the meat is cooked, use a wooden spoon or spatula to hold the meat in while you drain the excess oil from the bottom of the pan. Put the used oil for frying the meat in a closed container or plastic clip before throwing it in the trash.
- Do not throw hot oil directly into the sink or toilet opening. If the temperature cools down, the texture of the oil will solidify again and risk clogging the drains in your home.
- Be careful when cooking with hot oil.
Step 3. Add vegetables and meat stock
Add the potato wedges and beef stock to the stir fry; After that, add the carrot and peas mixture. Since the oil used for frying the meat has been removed, its role in keeping the pie filling moist will be replaced by the meat broth.
- If you like, you can use peeled potatoes.
- Want to create a pie filling? Try substituting potatoes for sweet potatoes.
- Adjust the stock to your liking, but make sure the pie filling isn't too runny.
Step 4. Thicken the pie filling (optional)
If the pie filling is too runny, try thickening it using the methods below:
- Mix 2 tsp. flour with 60 ml. water or 1 tbsp. cornstarch with 60 ml. cold water in a separate glass or bowl, mix well. Once the flour and water are well mixed, add them to the pie filling. Keep stirring until the texture of the pie filling thickens.
- Thicken with flour. For every 340 grams of pie filling, use about 2 tsp. flour. Add 1 tsp. flour first, mix well. Once well mixed, add the remaining flour to the dough; Gradually adding flour will prevent the pie filling from clumping. Stir again for 1 minute or until the pie filling thickens.
- Thicken with cornstarch. For every 340 grams of pie filling, use 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Add the cornstarch to the mixture and mix well for 2 minutes or until it has a thick texture.
Method 3 of 5: Making Large Meat Pies
Step 1. Set the oven to 175°C
Step 2. Arrange the skin dough on the baking sheet
Place the pie crust dough on the rolling pin. With the help of a rolling pin, slowly transfer a sheet of dough skin to the prepared pan.
Be careful not to stretch the pie crust dough
Step 3. Remove excess dough
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough that goes beyond the edges of the pan; leave about 1 cm. to fold and tuck under the crust of the pie for a thicker texture.
Step 4. Pour in the pie filling
Slowly pour enough of the pie filling into the crust mixture and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Step 5. Cover the pie
Very carefully, place the rest of the pie crust dough on top of the pie filling. Pinch the edges of the pie crust with your fingers until the top and bottom layers are perfectly attached. Cut off excess skin dough with a sharp knife.
Step 6. Using a sharp knife, make some scratches on the surface of the pie
This scratch serves to release hot steam when the pie is baked.
Brush the surface of the pie crust with egg or melted butter to keep the texture moist and not crack during baking
Step 7. Bake the pie
Place the pie on the center rack of the oven, bake for 45 minutes or until the surface is crisp and golden brown.
Be careful, freshly baked pies are very hot! Make sure you let it cool at room temperature before eating it
Method 4 of 5: Making Mini Meat Pies
Step 1. Prepare the pie crust dough
Divide the pie crust dough into 6 equal balls, about 170 grams each.
Dust the table with a little flour so that the dough doesn't stick when rolling
Step 2. Roll out the dough
Roll out each dough until it reaches a diameter of 20 cm. If the dough is still warm, try putting it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes as the cold crust dough will be easier to work with.
Step 3. Add the pie filling
Divide the pie filling evenly (about 250 grams for one pie crust) and place on top of each crust. Very carefully, fold the crust until the pie is pastel-like, then use the help of a fork or your fingers to secure the edges of the pie.
Step 4. Make some scratches on the surface of the pie using a sharp knife
These scratches serve to release hot steam during the roasting process; as a result, the pie won't crack or even pop in the oven.
Brush the surface of the pie with egg or melted butter to keep the texture moist while baking
Step 5. Bake the pie
Bake the pie on a non-stick (or lightly greased) flat baking sheet for 45-60 minutes or until the pie crust is crisp and golden brown.
Enjoy pies with tomato sauce or chili sauce
Method 5 of 5: Creating the Pie Stuffing
Step 1. Use different types of meat
Get creative with minced pork, chicken, beef or mutton and find the flavor that best suits your taste! If you want, you can also combine different types of meat to find the most creative and delicious combination. For a guaranteed delicious pie, try adding chunks of fried bacon or sausage to the pie filling. Filling pies with minced fish is equally delicious, you know!
Make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked before adding it to the pie filling
Step 2. Make the sweet meat pie
Want to combine sweet and savory flavors in your pie? Try combining the following ingredients:
- 240 grams of raisins
- 120 grams of dried figs, coarsely chopped
- 65 grams of dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- 2 apples; Peel the skin, take the flesh, cut into pieces
- grated lemon zest and lemon juice from 1 lemon
- grated orange peel and orange juice from 1 orange
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, finely grated
- 1/4 tsp. allspice powder
- 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
- 170 grams of dark brown sugar
Step 3. Make the spicy meat pie
Make your pie more palatable by adding chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, 4 tsp. curry powder, tsp. turmeric powder, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne powder. Voila! Delicious meat pies are ready to be served for those of you who like spicy flavors!
Step 4. Get creative
Enrich the taste of meat pies by adding your favorite ingredients! To make a Mexican beef pie, try adding refried beans and cheddar cheese to the filling. If you want to make a meat pie for vegetarians, substitute the ground beef with 90 grams of brown lentils; if you like, you can also add chopped artichoke. Be as creative as you like!
Step 5. Done
Tips
- If there is any remaining pie crust dough, roll out the dough thinly, grease with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon powder and brown sugar. After that, roll and cut the dough into equal sizes. When the oven temperature is lowered, place the mini cinnamon roll in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the surface is golden brown.
- Roll out the dough on parchment paper (special paper for baking cakes) to make it easier to transfer to the pie pan.
- You can bake a pie crust and then freeze it in the freezer. When ready to use, place the pie crust on the baking sheet and bake at 150°C for 20 minutes or until it is warm again.
- Reluctant to make your own pie crust? Don't worry, some major supermarkets sell good quality ready made pie crusts!
- After baking, place the pie on a wire rack to speed up the cooling process.
Warning
- Always wear heat-resistant gloves when inserting and removing pie pans into and out of the oven.
- If your oven heats up unevenly, turn the pie pan periodically during the baking process.
