Meat Pies

JPG asks in comments for Milady's meat pie recipe. Meat pies are a staple in Natchitoches, LA and are a tasty treat that have long been enjoyed in those environs. Many variation on the recipe abound, but they're basically a pie crust cut into rounds and stuffed with a meat filling. However, my lady has the recipe nailed and she has graciously shared it with many others over the years.

Meat Pies

Meat Filling:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork sausage
1 c. green onion, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 pcs garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
Salt, pepper, red pepper to taste (or Tony’s Creole Seasoning)
2 Tbs flour

Crust

1 qt plain flour
2 tsp (teaspoon) salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
¾ cup shortening
1 cup milk.

Brown meat and add seasonings. which have been chopped into small pieces. When meat is done, but not dry, remove from heat and add two tablespoons flour. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Make crust. Sift dry ingredients together, cut in shortening. Beat egg and add to milk, add mixture slowly to flour until proper rolling consistency. Roll very thin. Cut into rounds about the size of a coffee saucer (6”).

Add one large tablespoon of meat filling to the center of the crust. Fold over and seal. A trick to sealing the crust is to wet your finger with water, wet the edge of the crust, almost like wetting an envelope. Stick the edges together. Then dip a common dinner fork in flour and press the edge.

These can be frozen for later or cooked immediately. If you want to freeze them, place the single pies on a cookie sheet and slide into the freezer. After a couple of hours, put in zipper bags. A gallon bag will hold eight or nine pies. To cook, heat oil to 360 or thereabouts and cook until golden brown. Or bake at 350 until golden brown.

One recipe will make 8 or nine pies, depending on how big you cut the crust and how much filling you put into the pie. They're good stuff and they're traditionally deep-fried, but baking them is good too, and probably more heart-healthy.

There are plenty of variations to this basic recipe. You can use venison instead of beef, or seafood, or just about anything that will fit into the crust. You can make 3" circles instead of 6", add a teaspoon of filling and make mini-pies. Your imagination is the key, but this basic recipe has made countless thousands of pies and has proven itself time and again.

Bon apetit, and happy Thansgiving.