Hello everyone…
Chef Jason here… just back from a trip to Australia with my wife Gab and our daughter Charlee.
One of the things I look forward to when visiting Australia is the food. Although much of their fare is VERY similar to ours there are little differences that make it very exciting… especially for a Chef. Notably, because of Australia’s location on the planet there are some very different fishes and crustaceans available. Shrimp (which they call Prawns) as big as your fist!! Kiwi fruit is very abundant and MUCH less expensive than it is here in the States.
Here I have a recipe for an iconic Australian dish that I just love to eat when I am there… The Meat Pie. Think of it like our own Chicken Pot Pie… but with a more solid filling. They are generally made individual size and can be eaten with your hands… no utensils required… and since the saucy part of the pie is thicker than the American pot pie, the juices don’t run out and make a mess. They are a staple at sporting events much like hot dogs are here.
I found a recpie that will get you going in the right direction if you’d like to try to make one yourself. This recipe can make 4 small pies OR one large one (that you can serve in slices and eat with a fork). Be sure to have the right pie tins ready for the style you’d like to make before starting (this recipe describes how to cut the pastry for the individual pies).

– 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
– 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
– 1 1/2 pounds lean minced beef
– 2 tablespoons plain flour
– 1/3 cup bought tomato sauce
– 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
– 1 1/4 cups beef stock
– 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 4 sheets ready-rolled frozen shortcrust pastry
– 4 sheets ready-rolled frozen puff pastry
– 1 egg, beaten

1 Heat the dripping or oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft. Add the minced beef, increase the heat to high and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps for 6–8 minutes, or until the mince is brown.

2 Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking to the base of the pan, for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

3 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a small plate about 7 inches in diameter as a guide, cut four circles from the shortcrust pastry and use them to line the base and sides of four 1-cup pie tins. Fill the pastry with the meat mixture – avoid spilling any on the edges.

4 Using the same plate as a guide, cut four circles from the puff pastry. Brush the shortcrust pastry edges of the pies with water to moisten and top with the puff pastry circle. Press the pastry edges together to secure. Trim the excess pastry with a sharp knife and crimp the edges. Cut a small cross in the centre of each pie and brush the top with beaten egg.

5 Bake the pies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve the pies immediately… but be careful… the filling will be VERY hot!!

Thanks for reading!

Be good…

Chef Jason