Meat pies are a traditional European dish made with meat and vegetables, often associated with lower-class dining. They are typically served as a main course and can be made with a variety of meats and flavorful additions. The pie is made with a bottom and top crust, with the bottom crust being heavily stiffened to prevent spoilage. Meat pies can be served plain or with condiments and can be made in a large dish or as individual servings.
A meat pie is a pie made with meat such as pork, beef, venison, or fish. Typically a meat pie is made as a closed pie, meaning it has both a bottom and top crust. The bottom crust is often made with a heavily stiffened dough so it won’t spoil, while the top crust can be made with a more conventional flaky pie dough. Meat pies can be found firmly rooted in European culinary tradition, featuring a variety of meats and flavorful additions. They’re typically associated with lower-class dining, as the meat pies are often hearty, plainly flavored, and a bit messy.
Meat pies are included in a tradition of pies made with the intention of being served as a main course, rather than a dessert option. The base of the pie is, of course, the meat, which is cooked before being mixed with the other pie ingredients, to ensure that it’s cooked through and soft enough to cut with a fork. One of the most popular variations on the meat pie is steak pie, a dish that is popular in England, and made by stewing steak in a rich gravy before pouring it into a pie crust.
A meat pie is often made with vegetable ingredients to fill it, such as carrots, potatoes, and celery. The vegetables are typically crumbled or even partially precooked, so that they are tender after cooking. These greens make the pie cheaper, but they also make for a less heavy meat pie, by breaking down the meat’s dense protein. For financially struggling cooks, vegetables can also help hide a scarcity of meat.
Your favorite meat and vegetables are mixed with a flavorful gravy. Usually flour or another thickener is mixed into the pie filling so it is not runny and is poured into a firm bottom pie crust. The top pie crust is crimped and cut to allow air to escape while the meat pie is cooking, and the pie is baked in an oven until the crusts are browned.
A typical meat pie for a large family would be made in one large pie dish. Depending on the pie and region, meat pie may be eaten plain or served with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, salt, vinegar, or chutney. Cooks also prepare individual meat pies, designed to be eaten on their own or packaged as a snack. These individual meat pies are sometimes called “meat pies,” because they’re often served in the individual boxes or pots in which they’re cooked.
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