Meat pies

This pie recipe is well-known throughout Oceania. Tuvalu meat pies are bowl-shaped and have a pastry-like appearance. It comes with a minced meat filling. Shredded chicken, shellfish, mushrooms, veggies, and other ingredients are needed to produce this filling. In Tuvalu, crocodile meat is occasionally served within these meat pies.

Ingredients

• PIE BASE – CHOOSE ONE (NOTE 1): 1 1/2 batches homemade shortcrust pastry, 3 frozen shortcrust pastry sheets, thawed (300g/10oz), 2 refrigerated pie crusts (US/Can)
• PIE LID: 3 frozen puff pastry sheets, just thawed (300g/10oz) (Note 2), 1 egg , lightly whisked
• FILLING: 25 kg / 2.5lb beef chuck , 2.5cm/1″ cubes (Note 3),1/2 tsp each salt & pepper, 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, diced, 4 garlic cloves , minced, 5 tbsp flour , plain/all purpose, 1 1/4 cups (315 ml) beef stock, low sodium (Note 4), 3 cups (750 ml) red wine , dry full bodied (Note 5), 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp black pepper , coarsely ground, 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• FILLING:
• prinkle beef with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add 1/3 of the beef and brown aggressively all over, then remove. Repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if needed.
• Turn stove down to medium high. Add garlic and onion, cook 3 minutes.
• Add flour, stir through.
• Slowly add beef stock while stirring constantly. Once flour is dissolved, add wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, pepper and bay leaves.
• Return beef into pot, cover with lid, adjust heat so it’s simmering gently.
• Simmer 1 hr 45 minutes. Remove lid, increase heat slightly and simmer 30 – 45 minutes, stirring regularly, or until beef is fork tender and liquid reduces down to a thickish gravy, just about covering beef (see video). Do not reduce liquid too much – thickens more as it cools & in pie.
• Remove from stove, cover and cool filling (I usually leave overnight).
• PASTRY:
• Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
• Cut out 6 rounds from the shortcrust pastry, then drape pastry into pie tins – don’t stretch and pull pastry, causes shrinkage. (Notes 1 & 6)
• Place pies on tray. Top each pie with large sheets of parchment / baking paper and fill with pie weights (Note 7).
• Bake 20 minutes, remove, then use paper overhang to carefully remove pie weights.
• Return crusts into oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden and dry (can skip, Note 8). Remove from oven.
• ASSEMBLE PIES:
  
• Fill pies with cooled filling, push down to fill. Should be slightly mounded.
  
• Cut rounds from partially thawed puff pastry – cut them slightly larger than the edge of the cooked pastry bases.
• Brush edge of pie crusts with egg, then place lid on filling, pressing edges to seal puff pastry to the shortcrust pastry.
• Brush lids with egg, then cut a 1cm / 0.5″ incision in the middle using a small knife.
• Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden and puffed.
• Devour hot and fresh, topped with tomato sauce or ketchup if desired!