Meat pie

Ingredients

Pastry

• 400 gplain flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 220 gcold shortening or lard, cubed
• about 120 ml ice water

Filling

• 500 gminced beef
• 2 tbspoil
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 1sweet pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tbsprecado rojo (annatto paste), or 1 tsp annatto powder
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 2 tbspplain flour
• 250 mlbeef stock
• salt

To glaze

• 1egg, beaten

Directions

1. Rub the cold shortening into the flour, salt and baking powder until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pieces still the size of peas. Add ice water a spoonful at a time and bring it together without kneading. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Brown the mince hard in the oil, breaking it up, until it has properly coloured rather than merely turned grey. Add the onion, garlic and sweet pepper and cook for 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the recado, oregano, black pepper and Worcestershire and fry for a minute so the annatto blooms and stains the meat orange.
4. Sprinkle over the flour, stir for another minute, then pour in the stock and simmer until you have a thick gravy that holds its shape on a spoon. A loose filling will leak and turn the pastry to paste. Season, and cool completely.
5. Roll the pastry out to about 4 mm and line 12 deep muffin cups, letting it come up the sides. Fill each nearly to the top and put a pastry lid on, pressing the edges to seal and cutting a small vent in each.
6. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden. Let them settle for 10 minutes before turning them out.
7. Eat warm, from the hand, with a little hot pepper sauce.

Technique

• The filling must be cold before it meets the pastry. Warm filling melts the shortening and you lose the flake before the pie ever reaches the oven.
• Recado rojo is what makes these Belizean rather than generic — it is the colour and a good part of the flavour. Annatto powder with a pinch of cumin and oregano is the nearest substitute.

Substitutions

• Butter can replace shortening for a richer, less flaky pastry.
• Minced chicken works and needs a little more fat in the pan.

Variations

• A Belize City breakfast and mid-morning staple, sold hot from insulated coolers by vendors along the street, usually two at a time in a paper bag.

History

A Belize City breakfast and mid-morning staple, sold hot from coolers by vendors along the streets.

Frequently asked questions

What is Meat pie?

Meat pie is a street food from Belize: small pastry cups filled with seasoned minced beef and gravy. A Belize City breakfast and mid-morning staple, sold hot from coolers by vendors along the streets.

How long does Meat pie take to make?

Meat pie takes 45 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes 12. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Meat pie?

Yes, within limits. Butter can replace shortening for a richer, less flaky pastry. Minced chicken works and needs a little more fat in the pan.

What is the most important thing to get right in Meat pie?

Brown the mince hard in the oil, breaking it up, until it has properly coloured rather than merely turned grey. Add the onion, garlic and sweet pepper and cook for 6 minutes.