Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- Beef stock or broth, as needed
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and
- hot sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 pie crusts, homemade or store bought
- (Pillsbury recommended)
- 1 egg
- A bit of water
- Cooking oil, if deep frying
Preparation
Step 1
In a heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery and saute about 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Last minute or so add the garlic. Add the beef and pork and saute until cooked through and most liquid has reduced down. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 60 minutes. Add small amounts of broth as necessary to prevent sticking. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Remove from heat and let cool. You want your filling to be room temperature but not hot. If it is too hot it will make the pastry dough soggy.
To bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pie crust in half and spoon a generous portion on each half. Prepare egg wash by whisking together egg and water and brush it around the edge of each round, fold over and press edges together with a fork. Place the meat pies on a greased cookie sheet or pan. Make a couple of small slits in the dough so the steam will vent out, brush some of the egg wash over each pie and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
To fry: Traditionally at the festivals these pies are fried. Preheat your fryer to 375 degrees, and then cut the pie crust up into smaller rounds - somewhere between 3 and 5 inches or so. Portion out the meat mixture onto each of the rounds. Proceed as above to fold and seal them with the egg wash, except don't brush the egg wash on top of course. Fry the pies until golden brown; drain and serve hot.