Baking Recipes

Recipe Ten [Ghanaian Meat Pie]

Meat pie:

Ghanaian Meat pies are made with flaky pastry and filled with perfectly seasoned minced beef, onions and green peppers. The pastry literally melts in your mouth and the filling is simply delicious. This popular Ghanaian snack will have you coming back for more.

Tips for making the Meat Pies Pastry

1.Use cold butter or margarine.

2.Always use a light touch and handle pastry with care.

3.Knead dough just sufficiently to bind together, over-kneading will start to develop gluten in the flour and result in tough greasy pastry.

Ingredients :
For the filling :

1.1 tablespoon sunflower oil
2.300g minced beef
4.1 medium onion, chopped
5.½tsp all purpose seasoning
1 stock cube
1 large green pepper, chopped into small cubes

For the Pastry:

400g soft flour
255g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) cold margarine or butter
A pinch of salt
60 ml (¼ cup) cold water
1 egg, whisked

Instructions:

Minced Beef Filling:

1.Add a little oil to a large frying pan and heat up.

2.Add the mince and onions and cook on medium heat until it browns, stirring in between for 5 minutes.

3.Mix in tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add in all purpose seasoning stock cube and salt. Remove from heat and leave to cool, then stir in chopped green peppers.

The pie dough :

1.Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.

2.Add margarine to the flour and rub in using your fingertips. Add all the cold water at once and use your fingers to bring the pastry together.

3.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead very lightly.
Shape the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour or up to overnight.

To Assemble:

1.Pre-heat oven to 180°C fan/200°/400°F.Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2.Lightly dusk a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. (To avoid sticking of the dough unto the surface)

3.Roll out chilled dough. This should be carried out in short, sharp stroked with light even pressure in a forward movement only. Turn the pastry as you roll.

4.Using either a saucer or a large circle cutter, cut circles in the dough. Place a quarter cup of filling in the centre of the circle.

5.Fold dough over making it into a semicircle. Take a pastry brush and dip in water and moisten edges of dough circle then pinch sides together with a fork. Use a fork and poke holes on the top of the meat pies.(Optional)

6.Place meat pies on the baking tray and
brush the tops of pies with egg wash and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until the pies are golden brown.

Enjoy your snack while its hot! For the filing you can decide to use only beef and leave the vegetables.

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