Minced meat pie with crispy puff pastry lid

 This is a minced meat stew or pie under a crispy puff pastry lid. It is a dish with a touch of mexican spices. Of course, you can use other kind of ground beef, for example from pork or lamb or complete vegetarian mince.

Ingredients filling

400g minced beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 pinches of pepper

200 g of chopped tomatoes

1 carrot sliced in small cubes

2 potatoes cut in small cubes

400 g chickpeas or 1 can of cooked chickpeas

3 ancho chili pods

1 spring onion finely chopped

1 dl water, or a can of pasta sauce, or 1 dl meat broth. I had some chicken stock from baking chicken the day before and I saved it for using it in other cooking.

1 stock cube

1 egg

100 g shredded cheese

Pastry dough (homemade or use a bought roll chilled puff pastry, 250 g)

To make the filling tasty you can really add any spices you prefer. This time I added some

Ancho chili pods crushed finely and some Mexican spices.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 225 ° C.

Brown the ground meat in the oil in a frying pan. Season the mix with salt and pepper and spices of your preference. Heat the chopped tomatoes to a sauce. Add the water or use a can of pasta sauce or broth and let it simmer with the ground beef 3-4 minutes.

If using dried chick peas soak in a bowl of water over night. Boil for one hour. Drain and rinse and mix with the ground beef. If using canned chick peas, strain the juice out and add.

In a frying pan add some olive oil and fry the chopped onion lightly, add the cubed carrots and potatoes and the Ancho Chili. Stir and fry a minute and add these ingredients to the mince mixture. Cook for a couple minutes. Remove from the heat.

Beat up the egg and stir into the pie filling. Stir in the shredded cheese.

Pastry dough

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup vegetable shortening

¼ cup butter + more for buttering pie plate or skillet

4-5 tablespoons ice water

Instructions

Butter a pie plate or skillet and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Cut in the shortening and butter with a pastry blender or two forks or use your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Gradually add enough ice water to the mixture while mixing with a wooden spoon until a ball of dough is formed.

Cover in plastic wrap.

Let it rest in a cool place at least 20 minutes.

Baking the pie

Place the pie filling mixture into a greased oven proof dish. Roll out the pastry and place over the mixture. Cut small incision in the dough with a sharp knife. Brush the surface with beaten egg. You can make decorations on the pie shell from left over pastry dough to make the pie look even more decorative and inviting. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes in the oven on 225 degrees Celsius. Serve preferably with a fresh green salad.