Year of the Pie - Pie #5 Meat Pie

Pie #5 - Meat Pie
aka Pasty (pass-tee)

The book, "All About Pies and Tarts", covers several different types of pies. A pie can be anything made in a pastry of some sort. A single crust, a double crust, little pocket crusts, folded over crusts, etc.
This week we made Meat Pie.
The history on the pasty from the book is such:

When the copper boom was at its peak in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the 1800's immigrants from Finland and England flooded the area to work in the mines. While the name 'pasty' is originally from Cornwall, both groups baked their own version of the pasty. The Finnish often used a thin rye crust stuffed with fish or rice. This recipe is more reminiscent of the Cornish-style pasty. Both provided the miners with the perfect portable lunch.
Since it is portable I expect my husband to tote one for lunch tomorrow. :)

This pie was an absolute delight to make. The filling was fun and the crust was the most enjoyable one we have rolled out to date.

We combined and then covered and set aside: 1 lb. round steak cut into ½ inch pieces, 2½ C. ½ inch cubed peeled potatoes, 1 C.½ inch cubed peeled carrots, 1 medium onion coarsely chopped, salt and pepper to taste.

The crust was a dream.
4 C. flour, 1 T. sugar, ½ t. salt with 1 ¾ C. shortening cut in. Then ½ C. water, 1 large egg and 1 T. white vinegar, mixed together added to the flour mixture. Stir til combined and turn out onto a floured work surface. Divide into 6 portions and roll out each to form an 8-inch 'round'.

Divide the filling among the 6 rounds, spooning the filling onto half of each dough round. Fold the dough over the filling and tuck it under the filling. Moisten the exposed edge and bring it up to meet the tucked edge, pinching the dough together to seal it. [each pasty should resemble a small foot ball flattened on the bottom side]. Cut a slit in the top of each pasty and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake until the crust is golden 50-60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The recipe didn't call for gravy, but......I am thinking it would go really well on top of it. Maybe not if you are taking it as a portable lunch. It is a manly meal to say the least.
If you are wanting to teach some one to roll out crust-that has never rolled crust before....this crust will serve nicely. It was just very easy to work with.

Hey, go make a meat pie.

Until next time.