Meat Patties

I'm not sure of the history of these little meat pies, but my mum made these on a regular basis when I was growing up. They might be based on the Jamaican patty, which usually have a curry flavor. I can remember that they always made an appearance at families parties and we could wolf down 3 or 4 at a time. Now that I know how much work they take to prepare, I take more time savoring each bite.

These little pies are made with a shortcrust pastry and a tasty filling of ground beef, onions, gravy and peas. (Ready made pie crust can be bought if you really have to!) If you don't have the time or patience to make them small, then just go ahead and bake a big pie in a 8 or 9 inch pie dish. You will need to bake it for 15 or 20 minutes longer. I use a 12 - hole tart pan, bought in the UK which I also use for English mince pies, but a regular muffin tin will also work well. This is another recipe which is great to make with your kids.

Meat Patties (makes 24)
Ingredients:
Pie crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tablespoons shortening, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 - 4 tablespoons iced water

Filling:
12 ounces ground beef, lean
1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 - 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef broth or water
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen green peas

1 egg, beaten for glaze

Directions:

• Prepare pie crust: Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and shortening, then using fingertips, rub into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs or tiny peas.
• Add the water and stir together with fork, then squeeze it together until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Prepare filling: Heat medium pan on high. Cook the ground beef, onion and garlic until brown, stirring to break up the meat - no extra oil should be necessary.

• Add the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, broth or water and peas. Cook on medium low to cook peas and thicken the gravy. Season to taste. Set aside to cool before assembly.

• Assemble pies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Roll out the pie dough on a clean, lightly floured work surface, until about 1/8th of an inch thick.
• Use 2 cookie cutters (1 large, 1 medium) that fit your tart tins. Cut out 24 large and 24 medium rounds.

•  Grease the tart or muffin pan with non-stick spray and use the large size rounds to line the bottoms of each hole. Fill with a spoon of the meat mixture and lay the medium round on top to form a lid. Press to seal the edges closed.

• Repeat with remaining pies. Brush tops with beaten egg and cut a hole in each lid with a sharp knife.
• Bake in oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.