The first meat pie I ever ate was at a gas station deli in Prairieville, Louisiana. The hot buffet offered the standard bevy of questionable fried delights found in convenience stores and gas stations all over South Louisiana, but the meat pies were particularly comely that day. I thought to myself, “What the hell, Nick. You only live once. Go for it. A million crazy Cajuns can’t be wrong.” Thus began a love affair.

Meat pies are enjoyed in almost all cultures all over the world in some form or another. Here in Louisiana, you’ll find them filled with pork, beef, shrimp, crawfish and other combinations and they are almost always very spicy. They can be bite-sized, hand-sized or an actual “pie”. For my first foray, I chose small, appetizer-sized pies.

 

WHAT I USED:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

½ cup onion, finely chopped

½ cup celery, finely chopped

½ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped

½ cup green onions, finely chopped

¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

 

About 1/4 teaspoon each:

thyme

oregano

cayenne pepper

black pepper

 

About 1/2 teaspoon each:

salt

seasoned salt

 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup water

 

3 packages (6 sheets) refrigerated pie crust

 

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon milk

 

WHAT I DID:

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook beef and pork until lightly browned, breaking meat up as it cooks with the side of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium.

Add onions, celery, bell pepper, green onions, parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt and seasoned salt.  Cook until onions are translucent and the other vegetables are tender. Drain off fat and return to heat.

Mix flour and water together to make a slurry and add to meat mixture.  Stir to combine. Check the mixture for seasoning and adjust to your taste. Remove filling from heat and set aside to cool while preparing the pastry crust.

On a floured surface, roll out one sheet of dough to 1/8-inch thickness.  Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into as many circles as you can, reworking the scraps to get additional circles. Place one tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle.  Place another circle over the top of the filling. Press edges together with the back of a fork.

In a small bowl, combine egg and milk.  Brush tops of meat pies with egg wash.  Repeat process with remaining sheets of dough.

Bake at 400 on a greased baking sheet, about 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

This recipe makes about three dozen small meat pies.