Savoury Ground Beef Hand Pies (with hidden organ meats)
These ground beef hand pies are a practical solution for staying nourished on busy days.
Ingredients
- 4 pie crusts
filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter, tallow, or lard
- 1 onion (small-medium sized) diced small
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 oz. beef liver minced or blended
- 2 oz. beef heart minced or blended
- 3 tbsp flour white or whole wheat
- 1 potato (small-medium sized) diced small
- 1/2 cup peas frozen
- 1 carrot (medium-large sized) diced small
- 2 cups broth beef, chicken or water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp worcestershire
egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp cream or milk
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and add fat. Sauté the diced onions and garlic until they are soft and fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, ground liver, and ground heart to the pan. Cook until the mixture is deeply browned, breaking it up as it cooks to ensure an even texture.
- Stir in your spices, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and the flour. Cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste and coat the meat thoroughly.
- Mix in the diced carrots and potatoes. Pour in your broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the filling has thickened. Use a potato masher to gently mash the mixture for a cohesive, classic meat-pie texture.
- Turn off the heat and add frozen peas. Let the filling cool completely to room temperature. This is a critical step to prevent the crust from becoming soggy or the butter in the hand pie dough from melting prematurely.
- Prepare your dough by rolling it out to a 1/8 inch thickness and cutting out circles 6" in diameter with a bowl or large cookie-cutter. Alternatively, divide each pie dough portion into 5 equal balls and roll each one out to roughly a 6" diameter.
- Place 3 tablespoons of the cooled filling onto one half of each dough circle, leaving a clear border around the edge for sealing.
- Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly together and seal them with the tines of a fork. Use a sharp knife to poke 3 small slits in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape.
- Brush the tops of the hand pies with a whisked egg wash for a golden finish.
- To bake immediately, refrigerate the hand pies for 30 minutes to firm up while you preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Alternatively, flash-freeze them on a baking sheet until solid before transferring to a freezer bag for long-term storage.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and deep golden brown.
*Ensure you allow enough time for the filling to cool down completely. I recommend making the filling in the morning and assembling the hand pies later in the day.*Prepare your pie crust dough ahead of time so it's nice and chilled and ready for assembling when the time comes.