A Delicious and Simple Meat Pie!

Most people think of meat pies and instantly go one of two directions. Either they lean toward a Pot Pie or they just go yuck! But neither of these is what I think of. My image of a meat pie is one which is best described as a meatloaf packed with vegetables in a crust. And boy is it yummy! So to try it out yourselves, here is what you'll need:

1-2 lbs of ground meat (Turkey, Beef, or even Sausage)
2-3 cups of chunked root veggies (If you use Sausage you may just want to put potatoes in)
Various spices and seasonings (I like to use Kitchen Pepper for which you can find the recipe on My Wife's Blog)
3-4 cups of flour
2 sticks of butter
Salt
A little bit of very cold water
1 Egg
A Pie Dish
A cup or mug
A brush for an egg wash
A Mixing Bowl
A Pie Crust Tamp (or just fingers will do)

We will start by making the crust! It is very simple. Using your hands on the counter knead together the flour and butter until you get a thick doughy consistency. Add a little salt and a few drops of very cold water. (You can also do this in a bowl with a mixer) It should have a texture similar to playdough. Let the dough rest for a moment before you put it into the pie dish. Using the pie crust tamp (or just your fingers) evenly press the dough into the dish so that it looks something like this:

With the remaining dough you can roll out a top crust. I find it is easiest to put the dough between 2 layers of wax paper and roll it flat, adding a bit more flour so that it doesn't stick or tear. Put both the pan and the top in the fridge to cool down and harden. 

Next we make the filling! Take your ground meat, add spices as you desire, and mix in your veggies. It is almost too simple! In my filling I used ground beef and a frozen veggie mix (carrots, potatoes, and celery) because it was cheaper. Make sure that the veggies are evenly distributed. It should look something like this:

Now you may remove the crusts from the fridge and fill the pie. Be sure not to over fill the crust. 2/3 to 3/4 full is plenty. Both the crust and filling will expand as they cook. Pack the filling in very tightly. To put on the top crust I like to lay out the top, flip the entire pie over (this is why packing it tightly is key) and cut the edge of the top crust to the shape of the pie. Using a cutting board or something flat I flip the entire pie over again so that the top is now actually on top. Crimp the edges and make cuts in the crust like so:

These cuts prevent the crust from tearing or buckling and the pie cooks. The crimping seals the edges and makes it pretty. Add an egg wash and bake in a 400*f oven for 30-45 minutes depending on how thick the pie is. 

Once it is finished cooking you can either serve it hot or cold. When Cold it makes an exceptional breakfast dish! This dish is an excellent choice for a working class High Tea or Supper in the evening!

Enjoy!