Nigerian Meat Pies

There isn't much that I liked to eat in Nigeria, but Meat Pies were my favorites, especially when Brother Eno Macauley made them.  He sent me his recipe and even I can make a good meat pie if I handle the crust carefully. 

Crust: 
3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shortening or lard
3/4 cup ice water (the colder the better!)

Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl.  Cut in shortening with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add ice water a little at a time, tossing with a fork to make a pastry-like dough.  Add a bit more water if it seems dry and won't hold together when squeezed lightly.  Gather into a ball, press firmly now, then wrap with a plastic wrap and chill while preparing the filling.  Always try to keep the flour and shortening cold while working with it.

When filling is ready, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface (or on top of a piece of plastic wrap which can easily be folded over and then peeled off once the pasty ingredients are loaded).  Put some filling in the middle of the pasty and fold pastry over as described above. Edges of pastry should be brushed with a smidgen of water and then crimped VERY firmly with a fork (and I fold them and crimp again--so none of the liquid seeps out).  

Brush tops of finished pastries with milk to enhance the crust.

Bake at 400 degrees F until golden brown (about 20 minutes?, maybe more--there wasn't a time given in the recipe)

Filling:
1 lb ground beef
2 medium sized potatoes, diced very small
onion, chopped finely
carrot, diced finely
Curry powder to taste
Thyme to taste
Beef Bouillon - 1 cube

Brown the beef and add the onion, potatoes and carrots.  Let simmer for about 2 minutes.  Add the spices and bouillon and a small amount of water to make it moist, but not runny.  After rolling out the pastry, cut circles out of it to the sizes you want.  I make mine the size of dessert plates.  Then follow the steps above to finish the meat pies.  (I freeze any left-over meat filling to use again for another day).

After baking these pies can be wrapped individually and frozen for later use to microwave or heat in the oven.  I just love them!