Meat flesh as defined by FSANZ (Food Safety Australia and New Zealand)

“skeletal muscle of any slaughtered animal, and any attached – animal rind; and fat; and connective tissue; and nerve; and blood; and blood vessel; and skin, in the case of poultry.”

Following on from that, the new standard for meat pies is that they

“must now contain no less than 250g/kg of meat flesh”

For some reason, the above two quotes, in conjunction with one another, grossed my friend Kevin out. So he asked for a meat pie recipe. Based on the current contents of my freezer, I have decided to oblige not once, but twice. This week, a pie made form mince (ground beef) and next week, a pie made from meaty chunks. Not a connective tissue in sight.

The minced version is fabulous for fussy kids as it has many hidden vegetables in it. I actually made one family sized pie in a 20cm pie dish and one individual sized pie in a one cup ramekin for the Bread Winner to take to work tomorrow. The pastry stretched that far as I didn’t make a base for the family pie to make it a little less fatty. I have included both thermomix and conventional recipes for the filling and pastry.

Meat and Vegetable Pie
puff pastry (see recipe below)
Thermomix Users:
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1.5 carrot, roughly chopped
small head broccoli, cut into floret
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
140g mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons oil
500g mince beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon vegemite (yeast extract – optional)
1/3 cup plain flour

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. While pastry is chilling, place all vegetables in thermomix and chop on speed 7 for 10 seconds, using spatula to help.
3. Scrape down sides, add oil and saute for 4 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 2.
4. Insert butterfly, add meat and cook for 10 minutes at 100 degrees on reverse speed 2.
5. Add tomato paste, vegemite and flour. Cook for 2 minutes at 100 degrees on reverse speed 2.
6. Roll out pastry and line pie dish (or dishes if making individual pies).
7. Fill dishes with pie filling. Make lid and cover,sealing edges and slitting holes in top to allow steam to escape.
8. Bake for 30 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. Remove and serve.                                  

Conventional Cooks:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1.5 carrot, diced
small head broccoli, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
140g mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
500g mince beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon vegemite (yeast extract – optional)
1/3 cup plain flour

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. While pastry is chilling, heat oil in large frypan, add vegetables and saute for 4 minutes.
3. Add meat and cook, stirring until meat is browned.
4. Add tomato paste, vegemite and flour. Cook until thickened.
5. Roll out pastry and line pie dish (or dishes if making individual pies).
6. Fill dishes with pie filling. Make lid and cover,sealing edges and slitting holes in top to allow steam to escape.
7. Bake for 30 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. Remove and serve.

Rough Puff Pastry
adapted from Thermomix Everyday Cooking for the Family
200g butter
250g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon lemon juice
100g water, chilled

1. Cut butter into walnut sized pieces and place in fridge.
2. Place water in fridge or freezer
3. Put flour in thermomix and pulse twice to sift (turbo)
4. Add all other ingredients and mix for 10 – 20 seconds on interval speed (knead) until it forms a rough mass with chunks of butter still visible.
5. Turn on to lightly floured board, shape into a brick and roll out gently into a large rectangle. Fold into thirds, seal edges and roll out again. Repeat three times. Blobs of butter should no longer be visible. If they are, repeat again. Cover pastry and refrigerate for half an hour while you prepare filling.                  

Rough Puff Pastry for conventional cooks:
this is my tried and trusted pre-thermomix recipe adapted from Cookery the Australian Way
2 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 – 1/3 cup water
squeeze lemon juice
185g butter

1. Sift flour and salt
2. Beat yolk, add water and lemon juice
3. Cut butter into walnut sized pieces and drop into flour.
4. Add liquid to flour and mix to a soft dough using a knife
5. Turn onto a floured board, knead lightly until smooth and pliable.
6. Roll into a rectangle. Fold into thirds, seal edges and roll out again. Repeat three times. Blobs of butter should no longer be visible. If they are, repeat again. Cover pastry and refrigerate for half an hour while you prepare filling.

Approx. cost per serving $2.20 (could be cheaper depending on vegetables used)