Little meat pies

Serves:

Ingredients

• 3 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 500g mince
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups (500mL) beef stock
• ½ cup red wine (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 2 tablespoons water
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

For the filling, heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the mince and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to help break up the chunks. Add the tomato paste, stock, wine (if using) and Worcestershire sauce to the saucepan and simmer for 1 hour. Mix the cornflour and water to make a smooth paste, stir into the beef mixture until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Defrost the pastry sheets on a clean work bench, this takes about 10 minutes. From the short crust pastry, cut out 12 bases slightly larger than the holes of your muffin pan (or pie dishes) and push gently into muffin holes; you need about a 3-4mm hang over the edge to ensure a good seal. You may need to re-roll the pastry cut offs. Spoon in filling to just below top of pastry. Cut out 12 lids from the puff pastry, place on the top of the pies, press edges of pastry together and trim (I used a scone cutter slightly bigger than the muffin hole). Brush the tops of the pies with egg and make a slit in the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

Notes:

• Like the open lasagne, this recipe has great do-ahead-ability. Prepare the filling the night before or in the morning and store in the fridge until assembling pies.
• I don’t have metal pie tins, so use a muffin pan. However, the muffin pan holes are deep and narrow and a bit fiddly to line with pastry. If you have pie tins (or a nifty pie maker), use these or invest in them if you are a pie-loving family!
• Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in the oven – we all know the disappointment of a microwaved pie.
• Cut small rounds from leftover pastry to make little quiche bases (I use a cupcake tray) and fill with leftover meat mixture.

Serving Suggestions

Note