Last week in Australia, I was the pet American and treated to a feast of Australian foods from crayfish to lamingtons.
My favorite thing (and this probably says something about my modest palette) was the pies. Meat pies are the staple fast food, just like hamburgers are in the US. At certain times and places (Port Augusta at 9 pm comes to mind) they are the only food you can get.
So here’s my take on them. These are not authentic; I doubt that real pies use Chuka-aji, but I like the flavour enhancement of the MSG.
Kristen’s Aussie meat pies
serves 5
200 gr thinly sliced beef
300 gr ground beef
1 cup onion, small diced
1 Tblsp ground black pepper
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 Tblsp olive oil
2 Tblsp flour
300 ml beef stock or consomme
1/2 tsp chuka-aji or MSG
pie crust dough (2 crusts’ worth)
1 and 1/4 pie sheets (puff pastry)
Mix up your favorite pie crust recipe. Thaw a pie sheet.
Sautee onion in olive oil until transluscent. Sprinkle the beef with flour. Add beef and pepper to pan. Brown beef, then pour in consomme or stock. Simmer until all liquid is reduced. Sprinkle with MSG or chuka-aji. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Allow beef mixture to cool.
Divide pie dough into five pieces. Roll out to fit individual pie tins (I use glass custard cups). Line the pie plates, then fill with beef mixture. Roll the pie sheet out, cut into squares and cover the beef filling. Pinch edges of the pies together.
Bake at 400 degrees until the pie sheet is golden brown. Serve with sauce (tomato ketchup) on top and a side dish of peas.
Posted by kuri at December 16, 2004 09:01 PMi hope for your sake that aussie meat pies are a
whole lot better than their english and kiwi
counterparts.
in my expierience english cuisine is much better
than its reputation as long as you stay away
from anything that has meat in it, posh nosh not included
of course.
Hmmm …
That looks a bit wholesome for a commercial meat pie. You’re using a named speicies for your meat content. I’d go with ‘Steak Pie’.
The content of a ‘meat pie’ is defined by a standard. As I recall one Melbourne manufacturer in the 1970’s was fined several times for violating the standard by having too much meat! I believe they saw this a low cost advertising. 8-)
Home-made lamb pies are nice. I’ve seldom seen lamb used commercially. Same kind of process as you have used but lamb mince, onion, dried mint (about a teaspoon per 250gm of mince and soy sauce to taste. Leave your pie filling a little undercooked it will finish in the shell.
mmmmm meat pies and sausage rolls from the bakery… or better yet, the pie-man
best served with mushy peas (mint flavoured) from a can and tomato sauce from a squeeze bottle.
mmmmm lamingtons and vanilla slices and iced buns….
Think I had best pop out to get some lunch. (sushi today)
Yay the aussie “meat” pie. Legislation generally requires manufacturers to put at least 20% or thereabouts actual meat in the filling, so it’s a great idea to make your own. Although, you haven’t lived until you’ve bitten into a pie and made a *crunch* sound. Mmm mmm. Did you have a chiko roll while you were here? I’d love to see your recipe for the chicko, science has yet to invent a process for determining what exactly is in them, besides lots of “chicko” of course. Sausages the world over are mystery bags, but I’m so glad someone gave you a meat pie while you were here, did you enjoy our health system? The worst coffee I’ve ever had was from a petrol station in Carnarvon. It tasted like they had filled the machine with puddle water. But all I had in Port was a mars bars. Sounds like I missed out.
Posted by: womble on December 21, 2004 01:34 AM