Rustic meat pie

Here’s a pie that feels indulgent and cosy, but won’t overload your calorie count!

It’s packed with a mix of juicy beef and pork, cooked together with lots of veggies like celery, carrots, tomatoes, and onions, until everything turns soft, rich, and full of flavour. Then it’s all wrapped up in this golden, flaky puff pastry that smells amazing as it bakes and comes out all crispy on the edges.

It smells amazing, tastes even better, and it’s the kind of dish that makes everyone gather around the table. Comforting, rustic, and full of homemade charm.

Trust me, one piece of this and everyone’s going to ask for a second portion!

Ingredients: (for 4 portions – my tray was 32 × 26 cm)

• 2 large yellow onions
• 2–3 medium carrots
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 stock cube
• 350 ml boiling water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 large celery/apio stalks
• 30 g butter
• 200 g ground pork
• 200 g ground beef
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 30 ml Worcestershire sauce (If you’re out of Worcestershire sauce, don’t worry: soy sauce is a great substitute! Just use the same amount, and you’ll still get that rich, savoury flavour.)
• 10 g spice mix for barbecue
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A bit of olive oil
• Poppy seeds and sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

Start by washing and peeling all the vegetables, then move on to chopping them. Cut everything into small, even cubes, just like in the photo below.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and let it heat up while you prepare the pie.

In a small bowl, dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water and set it aside.

In a large, deep non-stick pan, melt the butter. Once it’s melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to turn soft and translucent. Then add the minced meat and mix everything together. Let it cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat starts to brown and all the flavours come together.

Next, add the diced tomatoes, spice mix, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and the stock you prepared earlier. Give everything a good stir, turn the heat up slightly, and let it cook for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced almost completely or completely.

While the filling finishes cooking, prepare a baking tray (mine is about 32 × 26 cm) and line it with parchment paper. Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into two equal parts. If needed, gently roll out the sheets with a rolling pin until they’re roughly the right size for your tray. They don’t have to be perfect, just close enough to fit nicely.

Place one sheet of pastry on the bottom of the tray.

By now, the filling should be ready, so transfer it into the tray and spread it evenly with a spoon or spatula. Cover with the second sheet of pastry, then prick it a few times with a fork. Brush the top with a little olive oil using a pastry brush, and sprinkle some sesame and poppy seeds over it for extra crunch and flavour.

Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for about 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.

Then cut it into even portions and serve warm.

And there you have it: a hearty, comforting meat and vegetable pie that’s golden, flaky, and packed with rich, savoury flavours. Each bite gives you tender meat, perfectly cooked veggies, and that irresistible puff pastry crunch.

If you try the recipe, let me know how you liked it! 😊

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