Celebrating The Things That Make Australia Unique

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The humble meat pie is as Australian as it gets. While Americans love their hamburgers, Australians love their meat pies and sausage rolls more. We are the world's biggest consumer of meat pies with over 250 million eaten each year.

The traditional Aussie meat pie is about 15cm in diameter, just large enough to hold in one hand and covered in tomato sauce. The pastry is usually shortcrust (heavy enough so it doesn't fall apart in your hands), and the filling is beef or chicken with enough thick gravy inside to stick it all together.

Meat pies are found in take away shops, bakeries and most everywhere else. You can also buy Four 'n Twenty, Big Ben, Aussie Pies, and Sargents meat pies in the frozen food section of our grocery stores. Today's meat pies come in your basic meat pie and a variety of styles: steak and onion, beef and tomato and onion, beef and vegetables, chicken and vegetables and others.

There are many ways to make a meat pie. Here's one we enjoy.

Ingredients

Method

Filling

1. Remove any fat and cube the chuck into about 1 cm ( ½" ) pieces.
2. Fry the bacon and onion over a low heat and add the chuck when the onions are slightly soft.
3. Season with salt, pepper and thyme, add the water, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. In a bowl, slowly add a little water to the flour and stir until it forms a smooth, runny mixture.
5. Slowly stir the flour-water mixture into the meat mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Pastry

1. In a mixing bowl, add salt to the flour and then cut in the margarine until mixed with the dough.
2. Add water and lemon juice to the dough.
3. Remove the dough and gently knead on a lightly-floured surface.
4. Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes and then roll it out.

The Pie

1. Line the small pie dishes with the pastry and fill with the cooled meat mixture.
2. Moisten the rim of the pies with milk or beaten egg so the tops will stick to it.
3. Place a layer of commercial puff pastry on top of each pie to form a lid and trim away the excess.
4. Press the edges together with a fork to seal.
5. Make a hole in the centre of each pie to allow the steam to escape and glaze the tops with beaten egg or milk.

Bake pies at 180° C ( 375° F) for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve hot with tomato sauce on top.

Optional: for a different taste, use 1 teaspoon of soy sauce or 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce instead of the thyme and cut the salt in half.

And for something different, try an Aussie pie floater. That's a meat pie served in a bowl of pea soup. Fair dinkum! Try it and you'll see why it's a favourite.

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