Wayne

Individual meat pies are classic fast food in NZ. See for yourself. Go
to google.co.nz, put mince pie in the search field, click on "search
in NZ", and see how many schools have it on the lunch orders.

Here's how I would make mince pies. (I have half a dozen indivual pie
moulds, oval in shape).

1 lb mince (ground beef)
water
salt
pepper
worcestershire sauce (optional)
dried beef stock powder (optional)

In a pot, add a little oil, heat, and add mince. Brown, breaking up
any lumps.
Add enough water to cover the meat, but don't add too little. The
water will become the gravy.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, a good dash of worcestershire
sauce (if desired). I would add a teaspoon of dried beef stock.
Simmer 30 minutes
Thicken with a slurry of flour and water (you don't want it runny).
Simmer a little longer for flour to absorb.

Using flaky pastry, roll out, and using a pie mould, cut the bases
large enough to overlap when put in the tins. Cut tops the same way,
making them smaller. Grease pie tins and place a base in each tin.
Fill with the cooked mince, top with a pastry lid and seal the edges.
Brush with beaten egg (if desired for glaze. It's cosmetic only).
Using end of sharp knife, make one or two steam openings in the lid.
Bake at about 350F for about 30 minutes (relying on memory here, so it
might be longer), or till pastry is cooked through.

Note: Don't roll the bases too thin. A pie is traditionally eaten in
the hand, so you don't want it to fall to pieces or sag.

That's my recipe for a mince pie. As you can see, it hasn't many
ingredients. It's really just mince and seasonings. But there are many
variations on that theme and many different types of pies. I like
"chicken and mushroom" pies too. Most stews or casseroles that use
boneless meat and which don't have large chunky veges can be used as
fillings for pies. And of course, instead of individual pies, you can
make a large pie for the family. It should be a shallow pie, not a
deep one.

Kathy in NZ

On Wed 05 Apr 2006 05:06:13a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Kathy in
NZ?

Wayne

Individual meat pies are classic fast food in NZ. See for yourself. Go
to google.co.nz, put mince pie in the search field, click on "search
in NZ", and see how many schools have it on the lunch orders.

Here's how I would make mince pies. (I have half a dozen indivual pie
moulds, oval in shape).

1 lb mince (ground beef)
water
salt
pepper
worcestershire sauce (optional)
dried beef stock powder (optional)

In a pot, add a little oil, heat, and add mince. Brown, breaking up
any lumps.
Add enough water to cover the meat, but don't add too little. The
water will become the gravy.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, a good dash of worcestershire
sauce (if desired). I would add a teaspoon of dried beef stock.
Simmer 30 minutes
Thicken with a slurry of flour and water (you don't want it runny).
Simmer a little longer for flour to absorb.

Using flaky pastry, roll out, and using a pie mould, cut the bases
large enough to overlap when put in the tins. Cut tops the same way,
making them smaller. Grease pie tins and place a base in each tin.
Fill with the cooked mince, top with a pastry lid and seal the edges.
Brush with beaten egg (if desired for glaze. It's cosmetic only).
Using end of sharp knife, make one or two steam openings in the lid.
Bake at about 350F for about 30 minutes (relying on memory here, so it
might be longer), or till pastry is cooked through.

Note: Don't roll the bases too thin. A pie is traditionally eaten in
the hand, so you don't want it to fall to pieces or sag.

That's my recipe for a mince pie. As you can see, it hasn't many
ingredients. It's really just mince and seasonings. But there are many
variations on that theme and many different types of pies. I like
"chicken and mushroom" pies too. Most stews or casseroles that use
boneless meat and which don't have large chunky veges can be used as
fillings for pies. And of course, instead of individual pies, you can
make a large pie for the family. It should be a shallow pie, not a
deep one.

Thank you, Kathy! This sounds perfect. David loves mince in almost
anything, but doesn't like a lot of other ingredients. This is just the
ticket!

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

In article , (Kathy in NZ) wrote:
Wayne

Individual meat pies are classic fast food in NZ. See for yourself. Go
to google.co.nz, put mince pie in the search field, click on "search
in NZ", and see how many schools have it on the lunch orders.

They've just banned meat pies and other "junk food" at all government
schools (or only primary schools?) in Qld. Some items will be allowed
once or twice a year on special occasions at a school.

This bloody Labor mob is gradually going right overboard in
legislating to run people's lives for them. It won't be long before
we all have to use only Premier Pete's Pink Poop Paper.

ObFood: An Aussie Meat Pie
Stolen from http://www.abc.net.au/westernplains/stories/s1151505.htm

Meat Pie -- Chef: Yolanda Torrisi

(kid-friendly style)

Degree of difficulty: Low

You need:
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 kg good quality mince (use premium or lean mince rather than
hamburger mince as it will have less fat)
500 grams frozen mixed vegetables (try the carrot, corn, peas and bean
mix or if your kids aren’t keen on beans, then try the carrot, corn,
peas and potato mix)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cornflour
1/4 cup water
2 sheets of puff pastry

Method:
Using a large saucepan, saute the onion in oil on a medium heat until
it looks translucent.

Add the mince and brown it all over.

Add the frozen vegetables, tomato sauce and worcestershire sauce and
cook for 30 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the
meat does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Mix the cornflour and water and mix until all the cornflour is
dissolved. Add to the meat at the end of the meat’s cooking time. Stir
thoroughly.

Divide the meat filling into 6 small ovenproof bowls or if you don’t
have individual small bowls, place the meat filling into a casserole
dish.

If you are using the small bowls, cut the pastry into four quarters,
so you have four equal square pieces of pastry from each sheet of puff
pastry. Lay over the top of each bowl and pinch the edges of the
pastry to sit in an even circle around the top lip of the bowl so it
seals the pie. Note these pies do not have any pastry as the bottom. I
find, the pastry goes too soggy and you really don’t need pastry at
the bottom of the bowls (much healthier).

If you’re only using one large casserole dish for your pie, then you
will only need one sheet of pastry. Lay it over the top and pinch in
the edges to seal the pie.
End larceny

Chef Yolanda Torrisi neglects to suggest a use for the surplus half
sheet of puff pastry. Do all you cooks do this sort of thing? ;-)

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

"Kathy in NZ" wrote in message
...
Wayne

Individual meat pies are classic fast food in NZ. See for yourself. Go
to google.co.nz, put mince pie in the search field, click on "search
in NZ", and see how many schools have it on the lunch orders.

Here's how I would make mince pies. (I have half a dozen indivual pie
moulds, oval in shape).

1 lb mince (ground beef)
water
salt
pepper
worcestershire sauce (optional)
dried beef stock powder (optional)

Kathy in NZ

Just curious -- is calling ground beef "mince" the origin of "mincemeat"?
Seems logical -- if so, what is the term for "mincemeat" in your form of
English? If I called pie "mince" in the USA it would probably be taken for
meaning "mincemeat pie", the sweet dessert made with ground meat.

I'll bet that out of the confusion someone once said "to hell with it, let's
just call it hamburger" and it stuck :-)
--
Lefty

Life is for learning
The worst I ever had was wonderful

Lefty wrote:
"Kathy in NZ" wrote in message
...
Wayne

Individual meat pies are classic fast food in NZ. See for yourself. Go
to google.co.nz, put mince pie in the search field, click on "search
in NZ", and see how many schools have it on the lunch orders.

Here's how I would make mince pies. (I have half a dozen indivual pie
moulds, oval in shape).

1 lb mince (ground beef)
water
salt
pepper
worcestershire sauce (optional)
dried beef stock powder (optional)

Kathy in NZ

Just curious -- is calling ground beef "mince" the origin of "mincemeat"?

I'd venture a good guess that mincemeat (meaning, minced meat) predates
ground beef. Originally, the beef was just cut or pulled into tiny
bits - minced. My grandmother (German descent) always made mincemeat
pie with real beef instead of what is called mincemeat in the US today.
She did NOT use ground beef, but rather cooked the beef and then cut
it up. However, I never liked it as much as a US version of mincemeat
that used apples and other sweet stuff as a dessert pie filling. ;-)


N.

The pies I et in the Whangamatta area of the North Island had a lot of fat,
sinew and grissle in them. They were edible but not the best cuts of the cow
were used. They tasted a bit bland. That recipe of yours sounds good but I
would add some peas and maybe some carrots. Perhaps commercial pies are a
way of using up all the leftover chunks of the cow.

f.j.

"Kathy in NZ" wrote in message
...
Wayne

Individual meat pies are classic fast food in NZ. See for yourself. Go
to google.co.nz, put mince pie in the search field, click on "search
in NZ", and see how many schools have it on the lunch orders.

Here's how I would make mince pies. (I have half a dozen indivual pie
moulds, oval in shape).

1 lb mince (ground beef)
water
salt
pepper
worcestershire sauce (optional)
dried beef stock powder (optional)

In a pot, add a little oil, heat, and add mince. Brown, breaking up
any lumps.
Add enough water to cover the meat, but don't add too little. The
water will become the gravy.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, a good dash of worcestershire
sauce (if desired). I would add a teaspoon of dried beef stock.
Simmer 30 minutes
Thicken with a slurry of flour and water (you don't want it runny).
Simmer a little longer for flour to absorb.

Using flaky pastry, roll out, and using a pie mould, cut the bases
large enough to overlap when put in the tins. Cut tops the same way,
making them smaller. Grease pie tins and place a base in each tin.
Fill with the cooked mince, top with a pastry lid and seal the edges.
Brush with beaten egg (if desired for glaze. It's cosmetic only).
Using end of sharp knife, make one or two steam openings in the lid.
Bake at about 350F for about 30 minutes (relying on memory here, so it
might be longer), or till pastry is cooked through.

Note: Don't roll the bases too thin. A pie is traditionally eaten in
the hand, so you don't want it to fall to pieces or sag.

That's my recipe for a mince pie. As you can see, it hasn't many
ingredients. It's really just mince and seasonings. But there are many
variations on that theme and many different types of pies. I like
"chicken and mushroom" pies too. Most stews or casseroles that use
boneless meat and which don't have large chunky veges can be used as
fillings for pies. And of course, instead of individual pies, you can
make a large pie for the family. It should be a shallow pie, not a
deep one.

Kathy in NZ

Speaking as an ex-Brit and now Aussie, pies are almost a staple here.
As Kathy said, there are many variations on the theme.

* When making the pie, use pie crust for the bottom, then filling, and
as an alternative top with mashed potato (Cottage Pie) then bake until
golden brown.

* We/I actually prefer using cubed steak rather than mince - makes for
a much 'meatier' end result. When I've had leftover Beef Burgundy I've
used it as a pie filler. Really, really nice!

* Brits LOVE mushy peas - some pie fillings can be topped with a layer
of mushy peas (cooked & pulverised in a blitzer) then topped with pie
crust.

I find that a shortcrust pastry works well too and if making a large
pie, the pastry doesn't suffer from being refrigerated/frozen.

The worst thing I've heard of is the Pie Floater - which I believe
originated in South Australia. It's essentially a shallow bowl half
filled with tomato sauce (ketchup) and the pie is placed face down into
it. Salt content must be horrendous!!
(Admits to preferring sauce WITH my pie, rather than pie WITH my
sauce!!)

cheers,

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

I believe it's only our primary (grade) schools Phred.
There would be hell to pay in the high schools if they tried it -
believe me!

Can well remember when my kids left primary (yes, our tuckshop was the
first model for the Healthy Tuckshop - complete with kangaroo burgers
-low cholesterol!) and went to high school.
They couldn't believe the quantity and variety of junk food on offer to
them. Particularly at girl's schools - where (once a month) hormones
kick in and the obvious and dire need to massive doses of chocolate in
all it's glorious forms, is a major part of the girls' daily intake!!

High schools even have softdrink vending machines strategically placed
around the schools - clever marketing from Coke I thought!

So rest assured, the kids are in no immediate danger of losing their
ability to eat poorly and make bad dietary choices.

hehehe

LadyJane (also in Queensland)
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

On Wed 05 Apr 2006 02:34:23p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it LadyJane?

Speaking as an ex-Brit and now Aussie, pies are almost a staple here.
As Kathy said, there are many variations on the theme.

* When making the pie, use pie crust for the bottom, then filling, and
as an alternative top with mashed potato (Cottage Pie) then bake until
golden brown.

* We/I actually prefer using cubed steak rather than mince - makes for
a much 'meatier' end result. When I've had leftover Beef Burgundy I've
used it as a pie filler. Really, really nice!

* Brits LOVE mushy peas - some pie fillings can be topped with a layer
of mushy peas (cooked & pulverised in a blitzer) then topped with pie
crust.

I find that a shortcrust pastry works well too and if making a large
pie, the pastry doesn't suffer from being refrigerated/frozen.

The worst thing I've heard of is the Pie Floater - which I believe
originated in South Australia. It's essentially a shallow bowl half
filled with tomato sauce (ketchup) and the pie is placed face down into
it. Salt content must be horrendous!!
(Admits to preferring sauce WITH my pie, rather than pie WITH my
sauce!!)

cheers,

LadyJane

Some nice and interesting options. I'v never had mushy peas. Don't think
they'd be easy to find here. I have to agree, the Pie Floater sounds
dreadful!


--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

Wayne I think the mushy peas is just tinned peas blitzed. Probably a
little of the canning liquid blitzed in too, so the mixture is gloopy..
Never made them myself either... however, after discussing disgusting
pie anecdotes with my husband Graeme (of 29 years) I discovered last
weekend that he apparently LIKES pies and mushy peas. Go figure!
Who says after 29 years you know all there is to know about your
partner???

Think he'll be eating the peas solo though. wink

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

On 5 Apr 2006 14:34:23 -0700, LadyJane wrote:

* Brits LOVE mushy peas - some pie fillings can be topped with a layer
of mushy peas (cooked & pulverised in a blitzer) then topped with pie
crust.

Are those fresh peas or split peas?
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

On 5 Apr 2006 15:12:49 -0700, LadyJane wrote:

however, after discussing disgusting
pie anecdotes with my husband Graeme (of 29 years) I discovered last
weekend that he apparently LIKES pies and mushy peas. Go figure!
Who says after 29 years you know all there is to know about your
partner???

Graeme? Does your husband fequent another food related ng?
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

I WISH!!

Last time he ventured into the kitchen (to cook something) was about 13
years ago!!

ROFLMAO

"FOOD" mysteriously arrives on his plate from some nether region....
thankfully he DOES know where the dishwasher is situated (and no, it
doesn't have 2 legs!)

nudge, nudge, wink wink

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

LadyJane wrote:

* Brits LOVE mushy peas - some pie fillings can be topped with a layer
of mushy peas (cooked & pulverised in a blitzer) then topped with pie
crust.

Hey, wait a minute! Where were you when I said something about adding mushy
peas to Beef Wellington to make it "more British," and nobody knew what I
was talking about?

Bob

Cooked, canned variety - have a very unique taste - can well remember
them as main ingredient in cafeteria food in the 60s & 70s... ugghh.

Ok if you are castaway on an island, or stuck in cyclone conditions...
but not my favourite veg from a can.

cheers,

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"