An Australian or New Zealand meat pie is a hand-sized meat pie containing largely diced or minced meat gravy, sometimes with onions, mushrooms, or cheese and often consumed as a take out snack. The pie itself is similar to the UK steak pie.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs diced chuck beef
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 white onions, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup thyme, chopped
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine(optional)
- 1 lt beef stock
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tbsp water
- salt and pepper, to season
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Thick-cut chips, to serve
Tomato sauce to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degree C.
- Toss beef in flour.
- Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add 1/2 the beef and cook until well browned and beginning to stick to the bottom of pan. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef. Set aside.
- Add onions, garlic and thyme to pan cook until onion has slightly softened.
- Add beef and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in wine, stock and Worcestershire sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally, or until meat is tender. (You will need 2 cups of liquid in the pan after 1/2 hour. If you don’t have enough, top up with water.)
- Mix cornflour and water in a bowl, then whisk into pan.
- Simmer until thickened. Season, remove from heat. Let cool.
- On a floured surface roll out the pastry to 1/8” thick. With a 5” cutter, cut out 8 rounds. Re roll scraps and cut out 8 rounds 6” wide. Use the 6” round to line 8-4” pie plates.
- Divide the cooled beef mixture among pastry cases.
- Brush the 5” rounds with egg. Arrange 1 round, egg side down, on top of each pie. Press down and crimp edge with fingertips to seal.
- Brush top with egg. Using a small sharp knife, cut a small steam vent into top of each pie.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is deep golden and flaky.
- Serve pies with chips and tomato sauce on the side.
Tip: To keep the pastry base from going soggy, make sure the meaty filling is cool before spooning into the pastry cases.