Scientect

Welcome to Ghana Bites, Scientect’s new collection of authentic recipes from Ghana.

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Ready for a taste of Ghana? Get baking with this ultimate Meat Pie recipe. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your favourite beverage, whether you’re enjoying a chill morning, a sunny afternoon, or a cosy evening in.

Ingredients

Pie filling

500g minced beef or 500g minced chicken or 3 canned sardines – flaked* (as you prefer)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped medium onion (small cubes)
1 chopped medium-sized green pepper (small cubes)
1 chopped medium-sized carrot (small cubes)
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small stock cube/ pot
Salt to taste

NB: *If using sardines, there will be no need for the stock cube/ pot or olive oil

Pie crust

500g plain or self-raising flour
250g cold unsalted butter or margarine
60 ml (¼ cup) cold fresh milk
Pinch of salt (i.e., about 1/16 teaspoon)
Pinch of seasoning (such as nutmeg, tumeric)
1 egg, whisked

Method

Preparing filling

NB: If using sardines, there will be no need to cook the filling – simply combine the flaked sardines with the chopped onions, green pepper, carrot, and black pepper and add some salt to taste.

Follow the procedure below if using minced meat:

1. Add olive oil to a saucepan and heat up.
2. Add the meat and stock pot/cube and cook on medium heat until it browns, stirring in between.
3. Add half of the chopped onions, carrot and green pepper and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Mix in the black pepper and add some salt to taste (if needed), stirring for about 1 minute.
5. Cook for 1 minute and leave to cool, then stir in the remaining chopped onions, green pepper, and carrot.

Preparing pie crust

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the flour, a pinch of salt, and seasoning (nutmeg).
2. Using your fingers, cut in the unsalted butter or margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add all the cold, fresh milk in small quantities and use your fingers to bring the dough together. Be careful not to overwork.
4. Divide dough into 4 small round balls/ discs and wrap tightly in a cling film and refrigerate until well chilled for about 30 minutes or overnight (this allows the gluten to relax, making the pastry easier to roll).

Assemble

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to an even thickness, turning occasionally to prevent sticking.
2. Using a 12-15 cm diameter round object (like a pan cover or saucer), cut out circles from the rolled dough.
3. Brush the edges of each dough circle with whisked egg. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center.
4. Fold the dough over to form a semicircle, ensuring a complete seal. Crimp the edges together securely using a fork.
5. Use a fork to poke 3 sets of holes in the top of each pie for steam release. Brush the tops of the pies with the remaining whisked egg.
6. Place the assembled meat pies on a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper.

Baking

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
2. Place the baking tray at the centre of the oven and allow to bake until golden brown (20 to 30 minutes).