Best Australian Meat Turnovers Recipes

AUSTRALIAN MEAT PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef and onion in the hot skillet until meat is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. (Drain and discard grease.) Add 3/4 cup water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon cubes, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until combined, about 10 minutes.
• Mix 1/4 cup cold water and cornstarch together in a bowl to form a paste; stir into meat mixture. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Use a 4-inch biscuit cutter to cut the pie crusts into 12 circles. Line each muffin cup with a circle, pressing into the bottom and sides. Fill each with the meat mixture. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut puff pastry dough into 12 circles. Top each filled muffin cup with with a circle and seal edges together. Brush pastry tops with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crusts are brown and flaky, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan before removing pies, about 10 minutes.

GROUND BEEF TURNOVERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the water, egg and vinegar. Add to shortening mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing lightly with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Cover and chill for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, combine the first six filling ingredients. Divide pastry into 15 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion into a 6-1/2-in. circle. , Mound a heaping 1/3 cup filling on half of circle. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over filling and press edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. , Cut three slits in the top of each turnover; brush with cream. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender and crust is golden brown.

TANGY BEEF TURNOVERS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add sauerkraut and cheese. , Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into rectangles. Place on greased baking sheets; pinch seams to seal. Place 1/2 cup beef mixture in the center of each rectangle. Bring corners to the center and pinch to seal. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

EMPANADAS (BEEF TURNOVERS)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce, olives, Sofrito, Sazon, garlic, oregano and black pepper. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
• On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out discos until 1/2-inch larger in diameter. Spoon about 1 tbsp. meat mixture into middle, fold in half to form a half moon; moisten edges with water and pinch to seal closed, or seal with a fork.
• Fill a deep saucepan with oil to a depth of 2 1/2-inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking (350 degrees F on deep-fry thermometer). Cook Empanadas in batches until crisp and golden brown, flipping once, 4 - 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

AUSTRALIAN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Dredge beef in flour and sear in oil in a hot pan. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 4 more minutes. Add the spices, Worcestershire and soy sauce and cook until the liquid is almost dissolved. Add the stock and cook until the meat is coated in thick gravy. Transfer to a container and cool.
• Roll 2 sheets of pastry to 1/2-inch thickness. Line 8-inch tart molds with the rolled pastry. Line the pastry with tin foil and prebake for about 8 minutes. Let cool.
• Roll out the remaining pastry sheets and cut lids for the pies. Fill baked shells with the meat mixture and cover with the cut pastry lids. Attach lids with egg wash. Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with black pepper.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

MEAT TURNOVERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400*.
• Cook and stir ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Stir in 2 Tblsp. baking mix, salt, garlic salt, catsup and sour cream; heat through.
• Stir 1 1/2 cups baking mix and the water to a soft dough. Gently smooth dough into a ball on floured cloth-covered board. Knead 5 times.
• Roll dough into a 12-inch square; cut into four 6-inch squares. Place squares on ungreased baking sheet; spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture on each. Fold dough over to make triangles and press edges together to seal securely. Cut slit in center of each turnover.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

MINCEMEAT TURNOVERS

Steps:

• Combine flour, granulated sugar and salt in large bowl; set aside.
• Cut butter into 1-inch chunks.
• Add butter and shortening to flour mixture.
• Cut in with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Drizzle buttermilk over top; toss just until mixture comes together to form ball.
• Turn out dough onto lightly floured work surface; fold in half and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick.
• Knead about 8 times.
• Divide dough in half; press each half into 1/2-inch-thick disc.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly grease cookie sheets; set aside.
• Let dough rest at room temperature 10 minutes.
• Roll 1 dough disc into 8X12-inch rectangle on lightly floured work surface.
• Cut into 24 (3-inch) squares.
• Place heaping 1/2 teaspoon mincemeat in center of each square.
• Fold opposite corners each about 2/3 of the way over filling, overlapping dough corners.
• Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove cookies or wire racks; cool completely.
• Sprinkle pastries lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.

MINIATURE MEAT TURNOVERS

Steps:

• 1. Brown hamburger in a large skillet. When all the red is gone, add the remaining ingredients and saute for about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• 2. Unwrap a package of crescent rolls. CUT EACH CRESCENT ROLL IN HALF (very important) - they will not be evenly sized. Place 1 teaspoonful or so of meat mixture on each half of the crescent roll and wrap up (just pinch the dough around the mixture and make sure it is "closed") If you are using these right away, simply place each turnover on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Continue with remaining crescent rolls and meat mixture.
• 3. Bake at 375 for approximately 15-20 minutes - until lightly browned.
• 4. If you are making these for later, place each turnover on a cookie sheet (get as many as you can on each sheet) - then place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes, until the turnovers are hardened slightly) - then you can just place them in plastic bag and freeze. When cooking the frozen turnovers, let them defrost slightly and cook them for about 5 minutes additional. Keep watching the bottoms so they don't burn.

PASTECHIS (ANTILLEAN MEAT TURNOVERS)

Steps:

• Saute vegetables in oil.
• Add beef and cook until well done.
• Add bouillon cube, cumin, tomato paste and if necessary, a little water.
• Stir to mix ingredients.
• Simmer until bouillon cube is dissolved.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• You can do a taste test and make filling as spicy as desired.
• Place 1 generous teaspoon of filling on round of Pastechi Pastry.
• Fold rounds in half.
• Seal and crimp edges.
• Fry in hot oil till golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Serve warm!
• (We like to dip our pastechis in ketchup, but they're yummy plain too!).

CORNISH BEEF AND VEGETABLE TURNOVERS

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Blend together flour, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps.
• Beat together yolk and 1/3 cup ice water, then drizzle over flour mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
• Gently squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until just incorporated, continuing to test. (If you overwork dough or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 6 portions. With floured heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Form each portion into a disk, rotating on work surface. Wrap disks separately in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 8.
• Make filling while dough chills:
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté mushrooms, stirring, until browned and dry, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook onion and garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add onion to mushrooms. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, then add to mushroom mixture with steak, carrots, parsley, salt, and pepper, tossing well. Cool completely.
• Assemble pasties:
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on lightly floured surface into a 9-inch round (keep remaining pieces covered). Mound 1 cup filling on round, slightly off center. Brush a 1/2-inch border on dough with water and fold dough over to form a half-moon. Trim edge with a fluted pastry wheel or a knife, then crimp to seal. Cut 3 small steam vents in top crust with a sharp knife and put pasty on 1 of 2 buttered large baking sheets. Make more pasties with remaining dough and filling, then chill 30 minutes, loosely covered.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Brush pasties with egg and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position and rotating sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 40 minutes total. Cool slightly before serving.