A meat pie is a dish consisting of a crust of pastry and a filling of meat, usually beef. It is a traditional dish in many countries, such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The preparation of meat pie is fairly simple and straightforward. The first step is to make the dough for the crust. The dough should be thin and flaky. Once the dough is ready, it should be rolled out and placed in a pie dish.
The next step is to prepare the filling. The filling can be made with any type of meat, but beef is the most commonly used. The beef should be chopped into small pieces and cooked until tender. Once the beef is cooked, it should be added to the dough-lined pie dish.
The final step is to bake the pie. The pie should be baked in a preheated oven until the crust is golden brown. Once the pie is baked, it can be served hot or cold.
In this article, we will show you how to make a traditional meat pie that is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
Continue reading to find out more about how to make meat pie
Ingredients for making Meatpie Dough
- 1kg plain flour (All Purpose Flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 500g (1.1 lbs) Margarine
- 3 pinches salt
- ½ cup / 125 ml / 4.2 of cold water
Ingredient for the Nigerian Meat Pie filling
- 3 medium Irish potatoes
- 3 medium carrots
- 500g (1.1 lbs) minced meat
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
- 2 Knorr cubes
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 cup / 250 ml / 8.4 oz cold water
- 3 pinches salt
How to Prepare the Meatpie Dough
- In a large bowl, combine the 1 kilogram of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 2 pinches of salt. The meat pie dough truly doesn’t require a lot of salt. The filling will give the meat pie much of its flavor. Thoroughly combine these dry ingredients.
- With a tablespoon, add the crumbled margarine to the flour bowl. It would be simpler for you to work the margarine pieces into the flour if you cut them into smaller pieces.
- With your fingers, work the margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Now begin to gradually add cold water while continuing to fold the mixture until a stiff ball of dough forms. You’ll be astonished by how little water is required to make the dough stiff. All you really need is half a cup of water for the 1 kilogram of flour.
- The dough should be thoroughly mixed before being placed back in the basin to rest for 5 to 7 minutes. This increases the dough’s elasticity.
How to prepare the Nigerian meat pie Filling
- Wash and chop the Irish potatoes and carrots into tiny pieces after peeling and scraping them.
- The onions should be washed and thinly sliced.
- Set your cooker or stove to medium heat, add the minced meat to the saucepan, stir until the meat becomes pale, and then add the diced onions and toss for a short while more.
- Knorr cubes, water, and thyme are added. When the contents of the pot begin to boil, cover the pot and cook until everything is tender-crisp, adding the diced potatoes and carrots as needed.
- Add half a cup of cold water and two tablespoons of plain flour to the meat pie filling. This advice is meant to prevent the meat pie filling from becoming dry during baking. It also maintains the moisture of the meat pie filling.
- Turn off the heat, whisk the mixture, and season with salt to taste. Set aside the meat pie filling. The meat pie’s dough needs to be made right now.
The Making
Cutting, Filling, and Closing then you proceed to Bake
- As you continue to prepare the meat pie, preheat the oven to 170°C (335°F).
- The interior of the oven tray should be covered in margarine. This prevents the undersides of the meat pies from burning or sticking to the baking sheet while they are baking.
- You’ll need the egg pretty soon, so break it, beat it, and set it aside.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of 5 mm after giving it one last kneading.
- Make circular cuts in the rolled-out dough using a cutter, such as the lid of a small pot or a meat pie cutter.
- Remove any extra dough, but save the circular cuts.
- Put a small amount of meat pie filling in the center of each round cut; it should be just enough to comfortably close the dough without spilling any. You have a lot of meat pies to fill today, so don’t worry if you overfilled the first one. Eventually, you’ll figure out how much meat pie filling to scoop into the dough.
- The sliced edges of the meat pie dough should be egg-rubbed.Â
- Using a fork, fold one end of the dough over to meet the other, sealing the two edges together to form a tight seal. Once all of the cutout dough has been used, place the finished piece in the oven tray and repeat the previous process.
- Till all the dough is used, roll out the additional dough, cut, fill, seal, and place in the oiled oven pan.
- On the meat pies, rub the egg. When finished, this gives the meat pie a golden brown appearance.
- The tray should bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. The kind and heating capability of your oven will determine how long it will take. The meat pie will be ready in 30 minutes in some ovens, but it could take up to 50 in others. The most crucial thing to remember is that the greatest meat pies are those that are baked at medium heat, regardless of the sort of oven you use. The meat pie will begin to brown when it is finished. You are welcome to examine this by opening the oven.
Conclusion
A meat pie is a food item consisting of a filling of meat and often other savory ingredients enclosed in a pastry or pie crust. They are popular in many countries and are typically made as a handheld meal that can be eaten on the go.
The history of meat pies dates back to ancient times, and they have been a staple food in Europe for centuries. Today, meat pies are enjoyed all over the world and come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and flavors.
If you’re looking for a delicious and hearty meal, then you can’t go wrong with a meat pie.
If Nigerian meat pie is prepared properly, the meat should be juicy and the pastry should be buttery, flaky, and melt in your mouth.
Both the beef mince filling and the shortcrust pastry must be flawless for the meat pie to avoid being dry and chewy.
Although making shortcrust pastry might be challenging, with perseverance and a lot of practice, you will become an expert and learn what works for you.
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