Meat Pie Recipe

Make dough

In a large bowl, whisk together 2.5 cups flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the 3/4 cup cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Add water and chill

Sprinkle 5 tablespoons cold water over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently until dough just holds together when pressed. Do not overwork. Gather dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Roll out

On a lightly floured surface, divide chilled dough into two portions (roughly 2/3 for base, 1/3 for top). Roll the larger portion to fit a 9-inch deep-dish pie or a 9-inch round pie dish with 1-inch overhang. Transfer to pie dish and press into edges. Keep the smaller portion chilled until filling is ready; it will become the lid.

Egg wash

Beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed for glazing the top before baking.

Sauté aromatics

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion, diced carrot, and diced celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the meat

Increase heat to medium-high. Add 1 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground pork to the skillet. Break up with a spoon and brown thoroughly, about 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains and some brown bits form. Drain excess fat if more than 2 tablespoons remain, leaving a little for flavor.

Build flavor

Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavor. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the meat and stir to combine; cook 1 minute to remove raw flour taste. Add 3 tablespoons beef stock and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.

Simmer and thicken

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer mixture 4–6 minutes until slightly thickened. If mixture seems dry, add up to 2 more tablespoons stock. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried) and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. If using frozen peas, stir in 1/2 cup now and cook 1–2 minutes to heat through. Remove filling from heat and let cool 10 minutes.

Assemble pie

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spoon the cooled meat filling into the prepared pie shell, spreading evenly. Roll out the reserved dough to form a top crust large enough to cover the pie with a slight overhang. Place the top over the filling, trim excess dough leaving about 1/2 inch overhang, then fold the bottom crust edge over the top edge and crimp to seal. Cut 3–4 small slits in the top crust to vent steam. Brush the top crust with the reserved egg wash.

Bake

Place pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes to set and brown. Then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake an additional 25–30 minutes until crust is golden and filling bubbles. If edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil or a pie shield after the first 20 minutes.

Rest and serve

Remove pie from oven and let rest on a wire rack 10–15 minutes to set the filling. Slice and serve warm. Leftovers refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through.