Meat Pies - Australia

[nverland]

Meat Pies - Australia

Pastry dough:
2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour
4 oz (125 g) lard, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp (40 ml) water, approximately
2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Filling:
1 oz (30 g) lard
2 onions, chopped
1 lb (900 g) ground (minced) beef
¼ cup (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) dark soy sauce
2 cups (500 ml) beef stock
½ tsp (2 ml) ground allspice
2 Tbs (40 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
2 Tbs (40 ml) water

For the pastry dough: Sift flour into bowl, rub in lard. Add eggs
and enough water to make ingredients cling together. Press
dough into a ball, knead gently on floured surface until smooth,
cover, refrigerate 30 minutes. Divide dough into 8 portions. Roll
each portion on lightly floured surface large enough to line 4-inch
(11cm) pie tins. Trim away excess pastry. Place tins on oven
tray, line pastry with paper, fill with dried beans or rice. Bake in
moderately hot oven about 8 minutes, remove paper and beans,
bake further 8 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned; cool.

For the filling: Heat lard in pan, add onion, cook, stirring, until
soft. Add ground beef, stir over heat until browned. Stir in
sauces, beef stock, and allspice. Bring to boil, simmer, covered,
20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with the water, stir
over heat until mixture boils and thickens.

Spoon cold filling into pastry cases. Cut eight 5-inch (12 cm)
rounds from puff pastry, brush edges of pastry with a little egg
yolk, gently press puff pastry tops into place; trim edges. Brush
tops with a little more egg yolk. Make 2 small slits in center
of pies, place on oven trays, bake in preheated 350F (180C)
oven about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve hot with
ketchup (tomato sauce). Recipe can be made a day ahead
and stored covered in the refrigerator. Makes 8 pies.