Australian Meat Pie

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and brown the beef in two batches over high heat, 4 minutes a batch. Set aside.

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2. Cook the onion 8 minutes in the same pan, then the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato purée for 2 minutes.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

3. Return the beef with the stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Vegemite, salt and pepper.

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4. Simmer, part-covered, for 60 minutes, until the beef is tender and the liquid has reduced by about a third.

   Mark done Start 60 min timer

5. Stir in the slaked cornflour and simmer 3 minutes until very thick — thicker than a stew, so it holds a firm channel behind the spoon.

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6. Spread the filling in a shallow dish and refrigerate at least 1 hour, until completely cold. This is not optional.

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7. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Roll the shortcrust and line six 10 cm pie tins, pressing well into the corners. Prick the bases.

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8. Blind bake with paper and beans for 15 minutes, remove the beans and bake 5 minutes more, until dry and pale gold. Cool.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

9. Fill each case with the cold filling, level it, and top with a puff pastry lid, pressing the edges to seal and trimming the excess.

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10. Cut a small steam hole in each, brush with beaten egg, and bake 25 to 30 minutes until the lids are risen and deep golden. Serve with tomato sauce, which is compulsory.

    Mark done Start 25 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Cold filling into blind-baked pastry. Every soggy meat pie skipped one of those two.
• Thicken it further than feels right; it loosens in the oven.
• The Vegemite is doing savoury depth, not flavour. Marmite works and so does a teaspoon of miso.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Tomato sauce, in quantity
• Mushy peas
• A cold beer

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat 15 minutes at 190°C. They freeze baked or unbaked for 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.