Lesley's Steak and Cheese Pie Recipe
New Zealand is well known for its meat pies. A pie is the lunch of choice for many a tradie, for families after a day of watching the kids play their winter sports, for anyone who needs to grab a quick meal from the bakery, and so on. We buy them ready-to-eat, straight from a paper bag. We have national pie making competitions, taking the whole subject very seriously. There is also a moment in a 2009 New Zealand reality TV show called Police Ten 7 when advice about eating a pie went viral.
Here's my recipe for a homemade steak and cheese pie.
(makes 6-7 individual meat pies)
700g blade steak or gravy beef, cubed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 pkt Maggi Recipe Base Beef Stroganoff or Beef Bourguinon
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 dsp Marmite or Vegemite
1 dsp cornflour
2 sheets savoury short pastry
1 - 2 sheets flaky puff pastry
Tasty cheese
Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:
Put garlic, onion, and cubed steak in a slow cooker. Mix contents of Maggi Beef Stroganoff Recipe Base with the water. Pour over. Stir in Marmite. Cook on low for 6 hours or until meat tender.
Make a paste with the cornflour and a little water. Mix in to the meat. Cook on high for 1/2 hour. Cool.
Using a pie tin as a cutter, cut the puff pastry tops for the pies.
Line 6-7 greased individual pie tins with short pastry. Be careful not to stretch the pastry. Line with baking paper, add dried beans, place on a baking tray. Bake "blind" at 220C (450F) for 8 mins. Cool and remove beans and paper.
Fill pie tins with cooled meat mixture. Put slice of cheese on top. Wet the edge of the pastry with milk, beaten egg or water. Top each pie with its puff pastry top. Press edges together firmly. Cut a small slit in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Brush tops of pies with milk or beaten egg. Reduce heat to 180C (350F). Bake 20 mins.
While it's cooking, grate about 1/2 cup of cheese into a bowl. Add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. Mix. Remove pies from oven, sprinkle cheese on top of pies. Put back in oven and bake a further 10 mins or until cheese melted and pastry brown.
Feedback from my kids: "These are better than bought ones!".