Nigerian Meat Pie

My favorite Nigerian snack is hands down a moist and scrumptious meat pie. After trial and error (oh the joys of cooking), I am excited to share this recipe that will have you and your audience drooling for more! It’s moist and flaky crust will have you savoring each bite. The secret to such a flaky crust lies in the technique, but don’t worry–I’ve made the recipe as easy to follow as I possibly could.

CRUST:

5 cups of all purpose flour

2 cups of salted butter, chilled and cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 cup of ice cold water

2 eggs

MEAT FILLING:

1 lb of ground beef

3 small potatoes

1.5 cups of peas/carrots mix

1 tablespoon of oil

1 medium sized onion, sliced

2 Knorr cubes

1 teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons of flour

1/2 cup of cold water

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon white pepper

Salt to taste

Essential Kitchen Tools:

2 mixing bowls

Rolling Pin

Pot lid, 6-inch diameter

Fork

Creating the Crust:

1. The first and most important technique here is to keep your butter as cold as possible before mixing it into your flour mixture. Do not remove the butter from the fridge until you are ready to begin.
2. Cut each stick of butter into small cubes (about 1.5cm squares), making sure to not let the butter melt during this process. Place the cubed butter into a small bowl and put back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow it to return to a chilled state.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the chilled butter into the flour mixture and use your hands to mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Stir in the cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball.
6. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Divide the dough into four portions and knead and roll each one flat. The dough should not be too thin nor too thick–an estimate of 5mm would be a great thickness size for the pie.
8. Use a pot lid to cut the dough. You should get 18 cut outs using a 6-in lid.

The Meat Pie Filling:

1. Cut the potatoes into small cubes and boil in a pot until soft. Add the bag of mixed peas and carrots into the boiling water right before the potatoes are done. The veggies don’t need to cook for a long time, five minutes is enough to make them tender.
2. Heat a skillet to medium heat and pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan.
3. Add the minced meat (ground beef) into the skillet and break into small bits and pieces until brown.
4. Add the diced onions into the skillet and mix.
5. Once combined, add the cubed potatoes and vegetables into the skillet.
6. Add 2 Knorr cube seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme to the meat mixture and stir.
7. You want the mixture to be a pudding consistency. Therefore, add 1/2 cup of cold water to the mix and add the 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken and moisten the filling.
8. Once all ingredients have been combined, turn the heat off and move skillet to a cool surface. You may also choose to pour the meat filling into a bowl to start the cooling process.

Time to Fill and Fold the Pie:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and rub your oven tray with butter or oil to prevent sticking. Set this aside for now.
2. Beat the eggs into a bowl and set aside.
3. With each pre-cut circled dough, scoop a spoonful of pie filling and place in the middle of each circled dough.
4. The amount of filling used in each pies is up to the baker, but make sure you are able to comfortably fold the dough in half to create the half moon shape without the dough breaking.
5. Once the dough is filled, use a baking brush to rub the beaten egg around the inside edges of the open-faced dough. The egg used here acts like a glueing agent to help seal the pie together.
6. Fold the pie,
7. Rub the beaten eggs on the outside of your pies. This helps create the golden brown, shiny, and fresh out of the oven finished product.
8. Using a fork, press the two edges of the folded dough together to create a closed system of yummy pie.
9. Place the completed pies onto the oven tray and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. The exact time will vary based on your oven’s strength. Just remember to keep the heat on medium heat. Once the pies start to brown, they are done. You can open the oven door when baking meat pies.
10. Once the pies are done baking, remove them from the oven and place on a cooling rack to stop the baking process. Your pies are now done. Take pictures of your work of art and share the deliciousness with everyone!