Meat pie with chips and veggies

The meat pie is an Australian staple. But most Australians buy them ready-made from corner shops, supermarkets, delis and snack bars. I had never made a meat pie until I moved to Norway. I tried several recipes, but this was the closest to the real thing.

For the base, I use a quiche or other unsweetened pie crust dough. Or you can use your favourite shortcrust pastry recipe, as long as it’s not sweet.

For the top, I use store-bought puff pastry, which in Norway means crossing the border and getting it from Sweden. You can buy puff pastry in Norway (called butterdeig or smørdeig), but it comes in frozen blocks that have to be thawed and rolled out, which is painful, but doable.

For this recipe, I like to use three or four small, non-stick pie dishes, but it could also make one large pie (about 20cm in diameter).

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g minced beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 beef stock cubes (or 1 – 1.5 if you prefer less salt)
• 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C

2. Brown meat and onion in olive oil

3. Add water, stock cubes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, pepper and nutmeg and bring to the boil

4. Simmer covered for 15 minutes

5. Blend flour with the two tablespoons of water until it becomes a smooth paste; add to the meat mix and stir until thickened

6. Turn off the heat once thickened

7. Grease a pie dish and line with short crust pastry

8. Blind back for five minutes

9. Add the meat filling mixture; brush edges of pastry with milk or beaten egg

10. Lay the puff pastry over and press edges down with a fork or your fingertips

11. Trim edges and glaze top with milk or beaten egg

12. Make a couple of small incisions in the pastry to let the steam out

13. Bake for 15 minutes

14. Reduce heat to 180°C and bake for 20 more minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with hot chips (fries) and steamed vegetables.