Nigerian Meat Pies Recipe

Meat pies, or beef hand pies―flaky pastries loaded with a curry-spiced combination of floor beef, onions, potatoes, and carrots―are typical at property and as road snacks in Nigeria. Expanding up in Warri, positioned on the southern coast of Nigeria, my loved ones would invest in them from quick-assistance dining places rather than make them at dwelling. They were delicious adequate, but it was not right up until I went to Lagos on getaway that I fell in like with the meat pies at Mr. Biggs, the most common swift-services cafe chain in Nigeria. 

At Mr. Biggs, you could get the most mouth watering meat pies, chicken pies, sausage rolls, and the most effective jelly doughnuts ever (I have not experienced a single doughnut that comes shut, but I digress), all of which were childhood favorites of mine. Their meat pies consist of a crumbly, flaky crust that is stuffed with an fragrant filling of meat, carrots, potatoes and curry powder, and they’re usually served hot. 

Introduced to Nigeria through British colonial rule, meat pies resemble Cornish pasties and Jamaican beef patties in look but actually differ in numerous approaches. The pastry for meat pies, exact as with Jamaican beef patties, is a shortcrust designed with chilly h2o, not warm water, which is classic for Cornish pasties. Butter or margarine are the fats of choice in meat pies, not like suet in Jamaican patties and lard or white shortening in Cornish pasties. Lastly, the filling for Cornish pasties is uncooked prior to stuffing, though the filling for Nigerian meat pies is cooked beforehand.

When it comes to generating meat pies at dwelling, there are two key components to get ready: the meat filling and the shortcrust pastry. The two of these can be created forward of time to enable shorten the process. For the shortcrust pastry, I use a combine of all-intent and complete wheat flour, which contributes to the tenderness of the dough. In addition, a ratio of two elements flour to one part butter by fat makes sure a crumbly, flaky texture. If you aren’t ready to make the pastry from scratch, you can substitute with retail store-acquired puff pastry. For the filling, it’s standard to use floor beef, however it is equally tasty with chopped, shredded, or ground chicken or finely-chopped mushrooms. The inclusion of inexperienced bell pepper provides a contemporary, vegetal flavor and aroma, and seasoning the mixture with Nigerian-fashion curry powder delivers warm and a little bit spicy notes. 

When this recipe yields unique hand pies that are fantastic for snacking, you can rather quickly change it to make a single substantial pot pie that can be served household type by spooning the filling into a medium ovenproof dish and topping it with a single piece of rolled-out dough. Regardless of what kind you make your mind up on, delight in your meat pie with a salad alongside.