Homemade Classic Australian Meat Pie

Name: Meat Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 2 cup Guinness beer (or any rich lager/ale); 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil; 1 chopped onion; 2 cloves of chopped garlic; 1 ounce of ground beef; 2 tablespoons of tomato paste; 1 cup of beef broth; 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon of oregano; 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg; 1 beaten egg; 1 1/2 cup of unsalted butter; 4 cups of flour; 1/2 cup of cold water; 2 teaspoons of salt; 1 pinch of black pepper

The iconic Aussie meat pie, a base of shortcrust pastry with a thick, rich beef and ale filling topped with crispy, buttery puff pastry.

Australian Cuisine

July 10, 2021

Difficulty Medium

Servings 8 people

Preparation 30 mins

Cooking 120 mins

Total 150 mins

Recipe Contents

Ingredients Directions Nutrition Equipments Tips

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 ounce of ground beef
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 cup of beef broth
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of cold water
2 teaspoons of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
2 cup Guinness beer (or any rich lager/ale)

Directions

Shortcrust Pastry

Sieve the 2 cups all-purpose flour and salt into a large bowl and gradually add the ½ cup unsalted butter. Rub the flour and butter together with the tips of your fingers to form a fine breadcrumb consistency, add a tablespoon of cold water and mix to form the dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until it comes together. Shape into a flat block and wrap it stretch film. Place the shortcrust pastry in the refrigerator and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Puff Pastry

Sieve the 2 cups all-purpose flour and salt into a large bowl and add the 1 cup unsalted butter. Rub the flour and butter together roughly, add 100ml of cold water and mix to form a firm dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead into the shape of a rectangle. Roll the dough the length of the rectangle until approximately 8”x20”.
Take the top end of the dough and fold into the centre, then take the bottom of the dough and fold to the top. Turn the dough ninety degrees and repeat the process, roll to a rectangle 8”x20” the fold in both ends. Place the puff pastry in the refrigerator and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes.
Remove the pastry from the fridge, lightly flour a work surface and roll the pastry to ¼ inch thick.

Pie Filling

Place a saucepan on medium heat and add the vegetable oil.
Stir in the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Then add the garlic, cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Next add the beef mince, brown well for 5 minutes.
Stir in the 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and tomato paste, cook out for 2 minutes.
Pour the Guinness, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and nutmeg into the saucepan.
Simmer for 1 hour, season with salt and black pepper.
Then remove the beef from the stove and let it cool.

Assemble

Preheat an oven to 375 °F and grease a pie tin.
Lay the shortcrust pastry into the pie tin and line with parchment paper and baking beads.
Place the pie tin into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the parchment paper and baking beads, bake for a further 5 minutes.
Transfer the pie tin from the oven and let it cool.
Fill the baked pie tin with the Australian meat pie filling.
Drape the puff pastry over the meat filling and push into the sides.
Lightly brush the puff pastry with beaten egg.
Place the pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the filling is piping hot and pastry golden brown.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Meat Pie

Serves 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories679

% Daily Value*

Potassium 387 mg8.2%

Protein 24.7 g49.4%

Sodium 1009 mg43.9%

Total Fat 40.5 g51.9%

Cholesterol 142 mg47.3%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Tips

In this recipe to provide bold and rich flavour to the sauce, any strong beer can be used as a substitute or this dish can be made alcohol-free by replacing the beer with beef stock.
Use shop-bought shortcrust and puff pastry or follow the recipes below for homemade versions, a pie crust may also be used as the base for the Aussie meat pie.
Individual meat pies can be made using a muffin tray, follow the same recipe and place the pastry into 12 muffin cups rather than a large pie tin.

Rate This Recipe

A short crust pastry base filled with tender meat cooked in a Guinness-infused gravy then topped with puff pastry lid. Found at Australian football games, pubs and roadside servos you’re never far from meat pie in Australia. The humble Aussie meat pie is a favourite and a dish which Australians living abroad miss especially, experience a part of Aussie tradition by following our recipe below.

Equipment for this recipe

Saucepan

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Baking Set

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Measuring Cup

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What Is In Australian Meat Pie?

The classic Aussie pie is made of three essential layers:

Pie base - shortcrust pastry which is par-baked to hold the filling preventing a soggy bottom and allowing the pie to be handheld.
Pie filling - a rich ground beef filling of pure meatiness held together by a thick beer-based sauce.
Pie lid - a flaky butter puff pastry lid cooked till crisp and golden brown.

Who Invented The Australian Meat Pie?

George Sargent, owner of a bakery named Sydeny’s Pitt Street invented the Australian meat pie in 1891. Pie’s were already commonplace throughout Australia with Sargent popularising the large pie sold for a penny each, leading the company to become one of the country's largest pie producers, later renamed Sargents Ltd. The pie was brought to Australia by British colonists, in the 19th century streets were filled with pie sellers and horse-drawn pie carts with varieties including the ‘pie floater’, an upside-down pie served in pea soup.

What To Serve With Australian Meat Pie?

Aussie meat pie is often served as a complete meal with tomato sauce and a pint. As with any pie the addition of buttery mashed potatoes, green beans or glazed carrots would always be welcome.

Here are our delicious recipes that you can serve with Australian Meat Pie:

Why Is Aussie Meat Pie Served At Australian Football Games?

The handheld meat pies are AFL’s unofficial partner with hundreds of thousands sold at games every year. Versions are the perfect on-the-go fuel to sustain a day of celebrations and sport.

Recipe byPetite Gourmets