Loaded Scotch Pies

Meaty Scotch pies with flaky crust - an authentic comfort food!

You can call these Scotch Pies but don’t call the people who created them Scotch…they are Scots! (so I’ve been corrected). And they have no Scotch in them. It must have been a natural conclusion - make a crust and place seasoned meat in it - cases in point: empanadas, pirowshki, calzones, British pasties, Quebecois tourtiere, Lebanese Sfeeha, Pizza rustica, Israeli Knish, Indian samosa,….point made and taken, no doubt!

I remember my parents opening a package of two precisely packed pies of this sort. They baked them then poured a warm beer broth over and not a one of us children whining that we didn’t get any. Fast forward many years and now, if I see a meat pie, I want a sample, and inevitably the recipe.

Ground beef or lamb (the Scottish preference) simply seasoned, fills a pastry crust that is easy to make and leaves a sense of satisfaction for having done so. Then the rich gravy made from the meat drippings is so soul-satisfying….one of the comforts of life, whether Scot or not!

LOADED SCOTCH PIES 

PASTRY:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup shortening (or lard) 4 tab. soft butter 1 1/2 teaspoon vinegar 1/3 cup cold water 

FILLING:

1 pound ground lamb or beef 1 medium-size onion, finely diced 5 small carrots, cut in small cubes 1/3 cup frozen sweet peas 8 fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 medium potato baked or boiled, cut into small cubes 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 2 small bay leaves (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups beef or lamb stock 

FOR THE PASTRY:

-In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a fork or pastry blender, lifting and breaking down the fat with fingers until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in cold water with a wooden spoon or fork and pat mixture into a ball, handling it as little as possible. (Add a tablespoon of additional water if mixture is too dry.) Pat together into a loose ball then form into a flat, thick disc and wrap with clear plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

FOR THE FILLING:

-Melt the butter in a medium-size frying pan. Add the diced onions, carrots, peas and mushrooms and fry until soft. Add the spices and seasonings and stir them in. Next, add the ground meat and fry until browned, breaking down the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks.  

-Add the beef stock to the pan, along with a couple of bay leaves.  Bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to medium-low and cover with a lid, then simmer for 10 minutes. Strain off the stock into a glass measuring cup and set aside to use for the gravy. Place the meat and vegetables in a bowl, cover and allow it to cool. 

-Lightly grease 4 large muffin tins with butter and set aside. Roll out the chilled pastry to a thickness just less than 1/4 inch, then cut out four 5” circles for the bases, and four 4” circles for the lids of the pies. (Gather up scraps of pastry and re-roll until you are able to cut out the required pieces.) Place the pastry bases into the muffin tins, pressing the pastry down into the corners, folding and pressing where necessary to make it fit snugly. Leave an edge of pastry sticking up over the edges of the pie tins. 

-Fill the pastry with the meat filling and lightly compact it down, filling each tin to the top. 

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of milk and brush egg wash all around the edges of the pastry with a pastry brush then brush egg wash on the underside of the lids and place the lids on the top of the pie bases over the filling, and gently press it down, using your thumbs and forefingers to crimp the 2 pastries together. Cut a small round hole in the middle of the pastry lid as a vent for the pies as they bake. Give each pie another brush of the egg wash. Place the tray on the lowest part of the preheated oven and set your timer for 40 minutes. 

FOR THE GRAVY:

-Skim the fat off the top of the reserved stock, then pour it into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer then stir in 1 tablespoon butter. 

-Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cold water and slowly add it to the simmering gravy while stirring, until it thickens. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, with the lid on.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

-When the pies are browned and golden, remove from the oven and place the tray on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully remove hot pies from the tins, and serve immediately, with peas and mashed potatoes or fries if desired, covered with gravy.

Saute vegetables and meat and combine them together with spices.

Cut circles of pastry from dough and press into muffin tins.

Fill pastry shells with the filling and place smaller pastry rounds on the top.