Without a doubt, one of our most beloved foods is the classic meat pie recipe. It is important to make the dough from scratch, is not difficult, and may be done well in advance.
Prep Time: 35 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Refrigerate Time: 1 hr |
Total Time: 2 hrs | Servings: 6 |
Because we get to keep the whole thing to ourselves, we adore the hand-held ones. However, this Family-size Meat Pie is the one you pull out when you’re feeling communal.
It all begins with a tasty beef filling that is incredibly flavorful. To bring out the flavors, we enjoy sautéing onion, bell peppers, and a tiny jalapeño. Although you can change the seasonings to suit your tastes, we really enjoy this recipe’s slight kick.
The Ingredients Needed to Make Meat Pie
For the Beef Filling:
- 1 tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) vegetable or other neutral cooking oil, divided
- 8.8 ounces (250g) ground beef, at least 20% fat
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 small yellow onion (1.7 ounces; 50g), finely diced
- 2 small Yukon gold or yellow potatoes (4.2 ounces; 120g total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 small carrot (2.6 ounces; 75g), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 teaspoon Nigerian-style curry powder (see note)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup (235ml) Nigerian-style stock or water
- 1/2 small green bell pepper (1.7 ounces; 50g), stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Dough:
- 5.6 ounces all-purpose flour (160g; 1 1/4 cups)
- 1-ounce whole wheat flour (30g; 1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon (3g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3.1 ounces unsalted butter (90g; 6 tablespoons), cold
- 1 large egg (1 1/4 ounces; 50g), lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (60ml) ice-cold water, plus more as needed
To Assemble and Bake:
- 1 large egg yolk (15g) lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon (15ml) milk (any fat percentage)
Directions
For the Beef Filling
1. Mix the cornstarch and 1/2 cup (120ml) water in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed, then leave aside.
2. One tablespoon of oil should be heated over medium heat in a 10-inch cast iron or stainless-steel skillet until shimmering.
3. Add the ground beef, season with a small pinch of salt, and cook, turning and breaking up the meat chunks, for about 5 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink. Move to a medium-sized, heat-resistant bowl and reserve.
4. Now that the skillet is empty, add the remaining oil and heat it over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion, potatoes, and carrots. Season with salt.
5. Cook, stirring periodically, for about 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the curry powder and thyme, and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until aromatic.
6. Bring the stock or water to a boil, add the cooked beef, and cover. Simmer the vegetables for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice along the way, on low heat to ensure they soften.
7. Add half of the green bell pepper and stir; simmer for about 2 minutes, or until barely softened. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the beef mixture after stirring it to redistribute the starch.
8. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the beef and veggies are covered in a thicker sauce. Add the remaining green bell pepper and taste and adjust the seasoning.
9. Place the filling in a medium heatproof bowl and allow it to cool for around half an hour. It may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
For the Dough
1. In the meantime, fully mix the whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour in a big basin.
2. Grate butter over the flour mixture using a box grater with big holes. Grated butter should be uniformly spread throughout the flour mixture after being tossed with your hands.
3. In the center of the butter-flour mixture, create a 4-inch-wide well. Beat the egg and add the ice-cold water together until thoroughly mixed.
4. After pouring the egg mixture into the well, gently whisk in the butter-flour combination with a flexible spatula until a cohesive dough forms with visible butter chunks. Add a tablespoon at a time of extra water to the dough if it’s too dry until it comes together.
5. Roll the dough into a round, flat disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to two days or at least thirty minutes.
6. Place the disk of dough on a well-floured surface. Divide into six uniformly sized balls, each weighing 65 grams (2 1/3 ounces).
7. Roll out each ball of dough into a 6-inch circle that is approximately 1/8-inch thick using a rolling pin, sprinkling extra flour as necessary beneath and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking.
8. To keep the dough rounds from drying out, transfer them to a baking sheet with a lightly floured rim and gently cover with plastic wrap.
To Assemble and Bake
1. Put parchment paper on the rim of a baking sheet. Taking one dough round at a time, place the round on a lightly floured board, then fill it with 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces; 98g) of beef filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border all the way around.
2. To create a semicircle, fold the top half over the filling and gently push down to seal the edge. To make sure the meat pie is tightly sealed, firmly press down on the edge with the back tines of a fork. Place onto a baking sheet that has been prepped, then loosely cover with plastic wrap.
3. Proceed with the leftover dough rounds and filling. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours with a loose cover.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) with the rack in the middle position, twenty minutes before baking. Pies should have an egg wash brushed on their surface before baking. Use a fork to pierce pies five or six times on each side.
5. Bake meat pies for about 25 minutes, turning the tray halfway through, or until they are golden brown all over. Give it 10 minutes to cool.
Pies with meat should be served warm or at room temperature after being transferred to a plate.