“Hot pies, cold drinks, get your hot pies, cold drinks here . . .” When I think of meat pies, I always think of being at an AFL (Australian Football League) footy game in my hometown of Melbourne, where meat pies, somewhat similar to empanadas, are a signature snack of the game. I’m sharing my recipe for the ultimate homemade version so you can bring a little Aussie footy spirit into your home. A super-buttery pastry dough is filled with seasoned finely chopped or ground meat and minced vegetables. Serve the pies with a simple green salad or—like we Aussies do—with ketchup.

Curtis Stone’s meat pies

SERVES: 6
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour and 45 minutes
MAKE-AHEAD: The pies can be assembled up to 2 weeks ahead and frozen in an airtight container. Do not thaw before baking, but add 10 minutes to the baking time (50 minutes total).

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 2 ounces prosciutto di Parma (about 5 slices), finely chopped
• 1¾ pounds ground beef chuck
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ounces chicken livers (about 3), rinsed, cleaned, and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth

To assemble the pies:

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Buttery Pastry Dough (see below), shaped into 12 disks and chilled
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Method:

To make the filling, heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then add the onion, celery, and carrot and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but not browned. Add the prosciutto and sauté for 2 minutes.

Crumble the beef into the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the beef, for about 5 minutes, or until the meat is just cooked and no longer pink. Add the chicken livers and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the livers are just cooked and no longer pink. Add the tomato paste and allspice and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste is well blended.

Stir in the wine and cook for about 2 minutes, or until it evaporates completely. Reduce the heat to medium, add the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, or until the milk has reduced by three-fourths and the sauce is thick and creamy. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until well blended.

Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened and reduced by one-fourth. Season with salt and pepper. Set the mixture aside to cool. (You should have about 4½ cups filling.) To assemble and bake the pies, position a rack on the lowest rung of the oven and set a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 400°F. (Being close to the source of heat will help the bottom crusts bake and brown properly.)

On a floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to a 6-inch round about ⅛ inch thick. Line a 5-inch disposable aluminum pie pan with the dough. Repeat with 5 more dough balls and pie pans. Divide the filling among the pans, using about ¾ cup filling per pie.

Roll out the remaining 6 dough pieces to 6-inch rounds and lay them over the filling. Trim the dough overhang to ½ inch. Pinch the bottom and top crusts together to seal, and fold them under. Crimp the edges. Using your finger, make a hole in the center of each top crust.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and cream to blend. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the pies with the egg-cream mixture.

Place the pies on the preheated baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling. If the crust begins to brown before the filling bubbles, tent the pies with foil. Let the pies cool on a wire rack until warm before serving.

Buttery pastry dough
MAKES: Enough for one 2-crust pie or 12 individual pies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• About 1/3 cup ice water

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse about 10 times, or until the butter is in pea-size pieces; do not overprocess. While pulsing the processor, add 1/3 cup of the ice water, then pulse just until moist clumps of dough form, adding more water 1 tbsp at a time if necessary.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it in half. Divide each piece of dough into 6 pieces and shape into disks. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before rolling out.

Courtesy Curtis Stone
Recipe from Curtis’s latest cookbook, Good Food Good Life
www.curtisstone.com
@curtis_stone