Dutch oven or tall stock pot (for frying); baking sheet needed for baking
Long handled slotted spoon (for frying)
Skillet
Meat thermometer
Rolling pin
Two mixing bowls: one large, one small
Paper towels and plate to drain pies on (if frying)
Baking sheet and parchment paper (if baking)
Pastry brush (if baking)
Ingredients
Meat Filling Ingredients
1lb.ground beef
1lb.ground pork, with or without sage
1cupfinely chopped onion, yellow, sweet yellow or white onion
1cupfinely chopped green bell pepper
2clovesgarlicminced, or 1 tablespoon prepared minced garlic
4cupsoil (See Recipe Notes), canola or vegetable
¼cupflour,all-purpose
2teaspoonsground sage, (if your pork doesn't contain sage); (See Recipe Notes)
1teaspooncayenne pepper1 teaspoon = mild; if you like spice, add more cayenne
2bay leaves
2tablespoonsWorcestershire sauce
1¾cupsmilk, 2% or whole
salt & pepper to taste
Pastry Ingredients
8cupsflour,plus a handful for rolling out dough; all-purpose
4teaspoonssalt, kosher
2teaspoonbaking powder
4wholeeggs, cold
2sticksbuttercold, unsalted, cut into tiny cubes,
1¾cupsmilk, cold
Egg Wash (if baking)
1wholeegglightly beaten
1teaspoonwater
Instructions
Meat Preparation
In a heavy skillet, add beef and pork; cook thoroughly until no pink is visible; drain and return to skillet
1 lb. ground beef, 1 lb. ground pork
In same skillet, add onions, bell peppers; saute 3 minutes on medium high or until green bell peppers are tender; add garlic; stir
1 cup finely chopped onion, 1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
Add cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and sage (if your pork doesn't already have sage in it); allow to cook for 15 minutes on medium; (See Recipe Notes)
While meat is simmering, make a slurry: In a two-cup measuring cup, add 4 tablespoons flour (¼cup) and fill the measuring cup with milk; mix with fork until smooth; pour this mixture (slurry) into the skillet with the beef; combine well. (The "slurry" will thicken the meat mixture.)
¼ cup flour, 1¾ cups milk
Allow this to cook for about 5-8 more minutes, or until the beef mixture begins to thicken; once the mixture thickens a little, turn off the heat; remove bay leaves; taste for salt & pepper; cover and refrigerate; now make the pastry dough
salt & pepper to taste
Pastry Instruction
Get out two bowls: one large, one small
In the large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder
In the small bowl, add cold eggs and cold milk; slightly beat together until combined
4 whole eggs, 1¾ cups milk
Slice cold butter into small (tiny) cubes
2 sticks butter
Add the tiny cubes of cold butter to the dry ingredients; "cut it in"using your fingers; (crumble the butter pieces and combine with the flour until butter until the mixture looks grainy)
Once the flour mixture looks grainy, gradually fold in the cold egg/milk mixture; combine with a spatula; form into a ball; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes ( See Recipe Notes)
Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface; place the dough on the counter and roll it out till it's about ¼" thick
Cut dough circles out of the dough that are approximately 7" in diameter; use a saucer or the bottom of a 9" salad plate as a guide--doesn't have to be perfect! (see recipe notes)
Meat Pie Assembly
Spoon ⅓ cup of the cold meat mixture onto the center of dough disc; fold one side of the dough over the meat so the edges of the circle form a half moon; press the edges together using your finger and a little water
Use a fork to "cinch" the dough together; trim with a pizza cutter or sharp knife; repeat process for the remaining meat and dough rounds; set aside
Refrigerate pies for 15-20 minutes
Frying Instructions
Heat a heavy bottomed stock pot with oil; bring to 312-325ºF; if oil begins to smoke, remove pot from burner and reduce heat immediately
4 cups oil (See Recipe Notes)
Use a long handled, slotted spoon and place formed pies into hot oil; work in batches; usually 3 at a time; remove cooked pies and place on paper towel; repeat until all pies are done; each pie takes 2-4 minutes
Baking Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF
In a small bowl, make an egg wash. Add one whole egg and a teaspoon of water to the bowl; combine well
1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon water
Use a pastry brush and coat the top of each pie with the egg wash
Place pies on a parchment covered baking sheet
Bake pies for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF
Video
Notes
Steps for Making Natchitoches Meat Pies
Cook the beef, pork and onion mixture; refrigerate or allow to cool
Make the pastry dough; cut out 7" rounds (cut out 4" inch rounds if you want a smaller meat pie); refrigerate covered in plastic wrap for about 20 minutes
Assemble the meat pies; refrigerate for 15-20 minutes
Bake or Fry until internal temperature reaches 160ºF
The Pastry Dough
It should be grainy after you've added and combined the cold butter
Put it on a lightly floured surface and gently knead it gently until it begins to stick together. DO NOT OVER WORK THE DOUGH. (If you knead the pastry dough too much, gluten will develop and the pastry won't be "fluffy")
If you make the dough ahead of time; cover and refrigerate it
Use a small salad plate or saucer as a template to form the circles of dough
If you're in a hurry, cook the meat, sausage and onions all together in the same skillet; then drain
After you form the meat pie, it may stick to the counter; just gently slide the back edge of a butcher knife under the pie to loosen it
These can be baked or fried; frying is quicker
Use a heavy duty stock pot for frying
Expect to have about 6 pies and some leftover meat filling
Use the leftover meat to make a faux Shepherd's Pie later in the week!
About the SageIf your pork already has sage flavoring in it, go easy on adding ground sage; I've found it's best to cook the filling, taste it, then decide if you want more sage and, if you want a spicier filling, add a little more cayenne pepperCan I Make Natchitoches Meat Pies in Advance?Yes. You can refrigerate or freeze cooked and uncooked pies in an airtight, sealed container. Refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 3 months.On the day of serving, thaw to room temperature before cooking or reheating.Baking Instructions:Place on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet; brush on egg wash; bake at 400ºF 20-25 minutes, or until crispy brown on the outside and internal temperature reaches 160ºF.Oil:The amount of oil you'll use will depend upon the size of the skillet and the number of pies you're frying. Put just enough oil in a skillet to cover the pie dough. Frying Instructions:Use a tall stock pot or Dutch oven and heat oil to 312-325ºF. Once oil is hot, use a long-handled, slotted spoon and slowly lower raw, thawed pies in the oil; work in batches; fry 2-4 minutes each; drain on paper towelHow Many Servings Will This Recipe Make?
This recipe for Natchitoches Meat Pie yields about 6 pies that are 7" wide.
Make these any size you like
I always have leftover meat. This recipe will yield more if you start out with a smaller diameter, but they will be more "bite size" than entree size.