Best English Pastry For Meat Pie Recipes

BRITISH STEAK AND ALE PIE

Steps:

• To make the pastry in a food processor: Add the flour and salt and butter. Pulse until you get the texture of fine breadcrumbs. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in cold water until it forms a ball. You may need more or less water depending on the dough.
• To make the pastry by hand: Add the flour, salt and butter to a large bowl. Using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter) rub the butter and flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle in the water and mix using a fork until the it starts to come together and holds together when pressed in your hand.. You may not need all of the water.
• Remove and shape into a ball on a floured board. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• For the filling:
• Add the vegetable oil and butter to a large, heavy, ovenproof saucepan or braising pan over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning the pieces until brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
• To the same pan, add the onion and carrots and cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to mix well and cook for 1 minute.
• Sprinkle in the flour and stir well until all the flour is well mixed. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the ale and stir until it starts to thicken. Stir in the beef, beef stock, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
• Cover with a lid and allow to come to a low simmer for 35-45 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for 15 more minutes to thicken the liquid. You do not want the liquid too runny, it should be thick. The meat should be quite tender, but will also continue cooking in the oven.
• Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C with rack in the center of the oven. Lightly butter a 9 or 10-inch (23 or 25.5 cm) pie dish.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut in half. Wrap one half back in the plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Roll out the other half onto a floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 of an inch. Cut a circle from the dough 1/2 inch larger than your pan and place into the pie dish allowing the edge to hang over.
• Cut a large circle of parchment paper or foil larger than the pan or and place on top of the pastry in the pie dish. Pour the dried beans to the center to weigh down the dough. Or, place a piece of foil on top of the dough and weigh down with an oven-proof dish that will fit inside. Bake for 12 minutes until you start to see the edges get a little golden brown.
• Remove the crust from the oven, grab the corners of the paper or foil and remove the beans. Make holes in the bottom of the pastry with a fork to prevent it puffing. If it puffs, it should go down. Return the crust to the oven for 5 more minutes to cook the bottom of the pastry.
• Once the crust is out of the oven take the rest of the dough and roll out onto a floured surface and cut a 10-inch circle.
• Fill the cooked crust with the beef filling.
• Brush the edges of the cooked pastry with the egg. Roll the pastry circle over your rolling pin, lift and place on top of the pie with the egg washed edges down so they stick to the other dough, pinch the edges or press with a fork.
• Brush with the entire top with egg wash and cut a couple of slits in the center of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. The time will vary depending on your oven.

BRITISH MEAT PIES

Steps:

• Brown 1/2 pound sausage in a skillet with 1/4 cup chopped onion and 1 each diced celery stalk and carrot. Add 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, and salt and pepper. Roll out a can of refrigerated biscuit dough and cut into twelve 3-inch rounds. Top each with a spoonful of meat filling and fold in half; pinch to seal and brush with a beaten egg. Make slits in the top and bake at 350 degrees F until golden, about 15 minutes.

ENGLISH PIE CRUSTS

Steps:

• Cut the shortening into cubes, and toss into flour. Take your hands and crumble it up into a fine, pebbly, grainy sort of dough.
• Add water, enough to make a soft dough. Form into a ball, and chill for about an hour.
• When chilled, knead it a couple of times on a floured surface. Roll it out, and proceed to fill with your choice of pie fillings.

BRITISH SHORTCRUST PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine flour, butter, and shortening using a food processor until crumbly. Mix in water 1 tablespoon at at time until dough is soft and pliable.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap; let rest in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.

ENGLISH PASTRY FOR MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Put the flour in a mixing bowl.
• Combine the water, milk, lard and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Let simmer until the lard melts.
• Add the liquid to the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to blend thoroughly. This dough should be shaped or rolled while it is still hot or quite warm.

ENGLISH PASTRY CRUST FOR MEAT CASSEROLES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix shortening into hot water until melted. Add yolk and blend well.
• Add liquid mixture to flour mixture. Mix well.
• Place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight.
• When ready to use, preheat oven to 425 degs.
• Divide out 3/4 of the dough and pat firmly as a lining for a 2 qt (8-inch) casserole dish.
• Fill with whatever filling mixture you desire. (NOTE: Be sure meat is already cooked meat! You are reheating the filling, not cooking sufficiently long enough to cook raw meat!).
• Roll out (or pat out) between two sheets of wax paper, remaining dough to use as top crust.
• Lay the top crust over the casserole, carefully removing the wax paper.
• Cut 3-4 small slits for venting. Seal edges and trim. If you wish, you can brush with an egg wash, or spray with a "PAM" spray to help with browning.
• Bake casserole at 425 for 25 mins until crust is golden brown.

PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Rub the lard and butter into the flour with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined. Add the beaten egg and 100ml ice-cold water and mix until you have a soft dough. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 1 hr, or until needed.
• Divide the pastry into 12 equal pieces and roll out into rounds on a lightly floured surface. Use six of the rounds to line the bottoms of six individual pie dishes, leaving an overhang. Fill the pies with the mixture of your choice, brush the rims with some of the egg yolk, top with the remaining pastry rounds, then trim and crimp the edges. Decorate with the trimmings, if you like. Glaze with more egg yolk, or as indicated in the filling recipe, and chill until you're ready to cook.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Put the pies on the hot tray and bake for 30-35 mins until golden. Leave to rest as directed, then serve in the dishes or turn out onto plates.

ENGLISH MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the dough by combining the butter with flour in a food processor or stand mixer until the mixture is mealy (you can also use your hands). Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add enough water to form a dough that can be rolled. Put in refrigerator while you make the filling.
• Saute the onion and garlic in butter until soft, but not browned. Cool. Mix all filling ingredients with your hands as you would a meatloaf.
• Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll one to about 1/8 inch for the bottom. Form filling into an oval loaf on dough and pull up dough to partially cover sides. Roll the other piece of dough to 1/8 thick. Use and egg wash to secure crusts and encase meat loaf in its entirety. Cut a hole in the top to allow steam to escape. Coat entire pastry with egg wash. Left over dough can be cut into decorations and attached to outside of pastry. (I used small Christmas Cookie Cutters to make reindeer, etc.).
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees and cook pie about 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and cook 1 hour more or until center registers 150 degrees on a meat thermometer and pastry is browned. Allow to cool.
• To make the aspic combine chicken stock with unflavored gelatin and microwave until boiling. Pour through hole in top. Refrigerate 3 hours to serve cold.

ENGLISH PASTIES

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Add enough water or milk to moisten dry ingredients. Shape into a ball. Cover and set aside. , For filling, toss together beef, pork, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Divide the pastry in half and roll each into a 10-in. circle. Divide the filling over the center of each pastry; dot each with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Fold pastry over the filling, sealing edges tightly. Cut slits in the top of the pasties. If desired, brush tops with egg. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes. Spoon 1 teaspoon water per pastry in slits. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 15 minutes longer or until golden.