Australian Meatpies!

Filling Ingredients

(Makes 6 large Meat Pies)

• 3 lbs beef roast (chuck, blade, or brisket), cubed
• 4 Tbsp olive oil (halved)
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 nutmeg kernel
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp Vegemite
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock (optional)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (12 oz)
• 2 red onions, diced
• 3 celery sticks, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves (1/2 to 1 bunch), finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Shortcrust Ingredients

• 21 oz (4 cups) all purpose flour
• 10 oz (2.5 sticks) butter
• 8 oz (2 cups) cold water

Filling Instructions

1. (If you are making shortcrust, put a metal bowl in the freezer)
2. Heat dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat.
3. Cut meat into 3/4" chunks. In a bowl, mix the meat with 2 Tbps of olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and flour.
4. Turn stove top up to high and add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the dutch oven. Once the oil is just beginning to smoke, work in batches to brown the meat. While the meat is browning, dice onions, garlic, and celery and set aside.
5. Near the end of browning, preheat oven to 350 °F.
6. Once all the meat has been browned and removed, add onions and celery to the dutch oven and deglaze. Keep the heat high to remove moisture from the onions and keep everything moving. Sweat the onions until they are translucent and begin to caramelize. 
7. Once the onions are partially caramelized, add garlic and saute for a few minutes.
8. Add red wine, canned tomatoes, chicken stock (if used), Worcestershire, Vegemite, and thyme leaves. Cover and place the dutch oven in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. (If you are making shortcrust, start that while the filling is in the oven)
10. After 90 minutes, add 2 Tbsp flour and mushrooms to dutch oven, mix well, and put back in the oven for another hour.
11. Remove from the oven, stir in the parsley, uncover and let stand to cool. Filling can be made days ahead and stored in the fridge. 

Shortcrust Instructions

1. Remove the metal bowl from the freezer and combine flour and butter. Cut the butter into the flour using a biscuit cutter, two forks, or bare hands that have been chilled in cold water. Gently integrate the butter into the flour until it has turned golden and there are no butter chunks larger than a small pea.
2.  Add cold water and gently mix. Press the dough together but do not knead (gluten formation makes it tough!)
3. Roll the shortcrust int a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Meat Pie Assembly

Do eet. Get some egg wash on it. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.