The meat pie is less a dish in Australia than a piece of civic infrastructure. Bakeries, service stations and corner milk bars keep them warm all day, and at an Australian Rules football match the pie and a dollop of tomato sauce are practically part of the admission. The classic build is shortcrust underneath, so the pie can be eaten in one hand without collapsing, and puff pastry on top, so it shatters pleasingly on the way in.

Ours is a family sized pie with the same architecture, because one large pie is far kinder to a first time baker than six small ones. The filling is minced beef in a gravy thick enough to stand a fork in, seasoned generously with black pepper. It reheats beautifully, which makes it ideal for an early morning Melbourne race watched from the other side of the world.

The beef filling

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 lb (900 g) beef mince (ground beef)
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) beef stock
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Assembling and baking

Ingredients

• 1 sheet refrigerated shortcrust pastry or rolled pie crust
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
• 1 teaspoon butter

More from Australia