Australian Meat Pies

I have been to Australia twice now and I am absolutely in love with everything there. From the many coastal beaches linked by trails, to the many birds, to the food, I love it all. I have now had Australian meat pies on both visits and decided it was time to recreate this delicious Australian comfort food at home. This is incredibly easy to make but I do advise making the filling a day ahead to make things flow easier and quicker. My family loved these and of course in true Aussie fashion, serve and enjoy it with ketchup! Eat up mates!

Australian Meat Pies

Ingredients

Pie Crust & Top

• 6 refrigerated pie crusts (US/Can)
• 2 eggs

Filling

• 2.5lb beef chuck, 1″ cubes
• 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
• 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cups beef stock, low sodium
• 3 cups red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
• 2 bay leaves

Prepare

Filling

1. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
2. Turn on the saute function in your InstantPot and heat 1 tbsp oil in. Add 1/3 of the beef and brown all over, then remove. Repeat with remaining beef and set aside in a large bowl.
3. Next saute the onion and the garlic and saute until soft.
4. Add flour and stir.
5. Slowly add beef stock while stirring constantly. Once flour is dissolved, add wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, pepper and bay leaves.
6. Return beef into Instantpot, cover with lid, and turn on Meat/Stew function for 35 minutes.
7. Manually release the pressure when complete and allow to cool. The consistency should look thick like gravy.
8. Remove from stove, cover and cool filling (I usually leave overnight).

Pastry

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cut out 12 rounds from the shortcrust pastry, then drape pastry into pie tins – don’t stretch and pull pastry, causes shrinkage.
3. Place pies on tray. Top each pie with large sheets of parchment / baking paper and fill with pie weights.
4. Bake 20 minutes, remove, then use paper overhang to carefully remove pie weights.
5. Return crusts into oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden and dry. Remove from oven.

Assemble pies

1. Fill pies with cooled filling, push down to fill. Should be slightly mounded.
2. Cut 12 rounds from partially thawed puff pastry – cut them slightly smaller than the pastry crust bottoms.
3. Brush edge of pie crusts with egg, then place lid on filling, pressing edges to seal puff pastry to the shortcrust pastry.
4. Brush lids with egg, then cut 2 – 0.5″ incisions in the middle using a small knife, making an “x.”
5. Bake 40 minutes or until deep golden and puffed. If using two separate trays, make sure to rotate them half way through for even cooking/browning of the crusts.
6. Devour hot and fresh, topped with ketchup if desired!