Classic Beef Mince Pie

There's not much better than tender braised beef mince encased in golden, flaky pastry - it's hard to go past what has been described as the national food of Australia. Making this homemade meat pie yourself is not difficult and I promise the result is worth it - this pie will be much nicer than anything you buy!

Meat pies are an iconic Australian food and are thoroughly entrenched in our culture, whether eating them at a game of footy or grabbing one from a servo during a road trip. This is my take on a classic beef mince pie - the filling is perfect whether you want to make individual pies, a family sized pie, or party pies.

It's worth making a large batch of the filling, as it's great on toast, jacket potatoes, or in toasted sandwiches - much like savoury mince. Both the filling and pie freeze well, making them a great standby meal in the freezer.

Ingredients for Beef Mince Pie

For the filling:

• Olive oil or whichever oil you prefer to use to sauté the vegetables.
• Mirepoix made with onions, carrots and celery.
• Beef mince - you could use another mince if you wanted to, but this is best made with beef and it's the traditional option. 10% fat will work best - if you use beef with more fat I suggest you drain excess fat to prevent the pie from being greasy.
• Aromatics include garlic, rosemary, bay leaves and tomato paste.
• Red wine and beef stock. You can swap the red wine for stout, or leave it out and use more stock instead. If you don't have beef stock, feel free to use chicken or vegetable stock. Use a quality beef stock where you can - there is a big difference between cheap and expensive stock!
• Worcestershire sauce - leave it out if you don't have it.
• Vegemite - only a small amount, it complements the beef. If you're not a fan of Vegemite, leave it out or substitute for soy sauce.
• Cornflour/cornstarch to thicken the filling.
• Salt, pepper and sugar to taste. You can use a little MSG as well if you'd like.

For the pie:

• Pastry - you can use puff, shortcrust or a mixture - I use shortcrust for the base and puff for the top. Alternatively, you can make your own.
• Spray oil or olive oil to grease your pie dish.
• Grated cheddar cheese - optional but adds richness and depth.
• Egg - optional, for the pastry egg wash to make it golden.

How to make a Beef Mince Pie

Check out the recipe card further down the post for comprehensive instructions.

Make the filling

1. Prepare the vegetables - using a food processor is fine.
2. Cook vegetables in a skillet with a little oil.
3. Add the mince to the vegetables and cook it.
4. Add flavourings and then the liquid.
5. Cook and allow to thicken.

Assemble the pie

1. Add a little spray or oil to the pie tin to help the pie come out once it's cooked.
2. Place pastry for the bottom and sides of the pie into the dish. Push gently into the corners.
3. Add filling.
4. Add some cheese, if using.
5. Place the top on the pie.
6. Cut excess pastry off with a small (pairing) knife.
7. Egg wash - optional step, but helps the pie go golden brown when baked.
8. Using your knife, make a small slice in the centre of the pie for a vent. Place in the oven and bake until warmed through and golden brown.
9. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so before cutting into it - this helps prevent all the filling come out when you cut it.

For instructions on making individual large or small "party" pies, see how to make different sized pies later in this post.

Do I need to blind bake the pastry?

No, blind baking is not necessary because the filling is not overly wet. Blind baking makes sense when making wet pies - for example a quiche - because it prevents the base from getting soggy.

How to Make Different Sized Pies

Family-sized pie

This is perfect when you're feeding a crowd or want a hearty dinner for the family. Use a 26cm (10") pie dish, or something similar like a baking dish or cake pan. Line it with shortcrust or puff pastry. Add your cooled filling, top with pastry, and bake until golden. Depending on your baking dish, you might need to join two pastry sheets together - just press the seams gently so they don’t split while baking. For a large pie, look for a volume of around 1L (4 cups).

Individual pies

Great for meal prep or easy lunches. You can use a pie maker, ramekins, small pie tins, or even foil trays. Line each container with pastry, spoon in the filling, and cover with pastry tops. These are easy to portion and freeze well too. Each individual pies should contain around 1/2 cup of filling.

Party pies

Perfect for entertaining or for kids! I make them in a muffin tin - cut the pastry into small rounds using a cookie cutter or glass, press them into the tin, and fill with mince. Cover with another pastry round and press the edges to seal. They’ll only need about 20 minutes in the oven – just until golden and bubbling. Each party pie should contain around 3 tbsp to 1/4 cup of filling, depending on the size of your mould.

Make ahead, reheating and freezing Beef Mince Pie

Both the pie and filling can be made ahead of time - keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The filling should be stored in an airtight container, and the pie should be covered in plastic wrap once cooled.

To freeze, let the pie or filling cool completely. If freezing the pie, wrap it well in foil. If freezing the filling, place it in an airtight container. Both the pie and filling will be good for 3 months in the freezer.

Defrost the pie or filling overnight in the fridge before baking.

Classic Beef Mince Pie

Unrated

Sam Knight

Savoury pie Beef mince Entertaining Picnic Australian cuisine

Prep	Cook	Total
25 mins	60 mins	85 mins

Serves 8

This classic Australian beef mince pie is always comforting, and is perfect for making a large family pie for dinner or party pies for entertaining. With a golden pastry and a rich savoury filling, it's hard to beat!

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 1kg (2.2 lbs) beef mince 10% fat
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely sliced you can use dried rosemary or substitute with dried thyme - see note 1
• 50g (1.75 oz) tomato paste
• 125ml (1/2 cup) red wine optional, or sub for stout
• 500ml (2 cups) beef stock preferably salt reduced, stock cubes or concentrates are fine - see note 2
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Vegemite or substitute with soy sauce, see note 3
• 3 tbsp cornflour/starch, mixed with 3 tbsp of water for thickening the gravy
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Sugar, to taste see note 4
• 1/2 tsp MSG optional - or to taste

For each large pie

• Spray oil, or olive oil for greasing
• 2 sheets of pastry I like to use shortcrust for the base and puff for the lid - see note 5
• 100g (1 cup, 3.5 oz) grated cheddar cheese optional, see note 6
• 1 egg, beaten for the egg wash, which will do multiple pies - optional, see note 7

Steps

Make the filling

1. Prepare vegetables - finely dice the onion, carrots and celery, or pulse in a food processor.
2. Cook vegetables - heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery, cooking for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Lower heat if they begin to brown.
3. Cook mince - add the mince and increase heat to medium high. Break up the mince with a spoon as it cooks and continue to stir. Cook for around 8 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and the water it releases has evaporated. Reduce heat back to medium.
4. Add garlic and rosemary - add the garlic and rosemary and cook for 30 seconds, stirring, or until fragrant.
5. Add tomato paste and stir through the mince. Cook, stirring for about 30 seconds.
6. Add wine and cook until it mostly evaporates, scraping up any browned bits from the pan with your spoon.
7. Add stock and flavourings - add the beef stock, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and Vegemite or soy sauce if using. Stir well and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Thicken - mix cornflour and water, then add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
9. Season to taste with salt & pepper and sugar, along with the MSG if using.
10. Allow to cool - remove the bay leaves and allow the filling to cool until just warm, before proceeding with the pie. Alternatively, you can put the filling in the fridge and make the pie later.

Make the pie

1. Preheat oven to 200C (390F).
2. Pie dish - use spray oil or olive oil to grease a large pie dish or a muffin tin, if making party pies.
3. Pastry - for a large pie dish, gently press the pastry sheets into the dish, pushing it into the corners. If needed, use multiple sheets of pastry, pressing the seams together. If making individual pies, roll out the pastry and use a round shape (like a cup) that’s slightly larger than the diameter of your pie maker or muffin tin. Press each piece into the tin, ensuring it fits snugly.
4. Fill pie - Add filling, leaving a 1cm (1/2") gap from the top for the lid. Depending on the size of your dish, you may have leftover filling (see note).
5. Cheese - if using cheese, sprinkle over the top of the mince.
6. Pie top - place a sheet of pastry over the top of your filling. Depending on the size of your dish, you may need to use extra pastry. For individual pies, cut pastry as you did for the base to cover the filling. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges of the base and top together. Use a pairing knife to remove excess overhanging pastry.
7. Egg wash - if using, beat the egg in a bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg over the pastry.
8. Vent - use a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the centre of the pie to allow steam to vent.
9. Bake for around 45 minutes for a large pie, or 20 minutes for party pies. The filling should be hot and the crust a deep golden brown.

Notes

1. Rosemary substitute - if you don't have fresh rosemary, substitute with 3/4 tsp of dried rosemary or thyme. Add more to taste once the filling has finished cooking.
2. Stock - For the best result, use a quality beef stock. With that said, it's fine to make the stock by mixing stock cubes or concentrates with water - just try and use low salt varieties where possible because it gives you more control with your seasoning and reduces the risk of having a filling which is too salty.
3. Vegemite - you won't taste Vegemite, but the umami that it brings. Substitute for soy sauce if you're not a fan of Vegemite or leave it out altogether.
4. Sugar - you don't need much, if any. It's just to balance the flavour.
5. Pastry - if your pastry doesn't come in sheets, you'll need to roll it out with a rolling pin and a little flour. Depending on the size of your sheets, and whether you're making a family pie, party pies or large pies, you might need more than I've listed. I use 2 sheets (25x25cm) in my 0.9L pie dish.
6. Cheese - commonly added for creaminess, it enhances the richness of the filling. Leave it out if you prefer.
7. Egg wash - gives pastry a golden, glossy finish when baked. Leave it out if you prefer - it's mostly a visual thing. If you're making multiple pies, 1 egg will probably be sufficient.
8. Vegetable size - take care to not cut the onion, carrot and celery too large; they should disappear into the sauce once it's cooked. A fine dice, or pulsing in the food processor until the pieces are small will give the best result.
9. Volume - the default recipe quantity makes approx 1.75L (7 cups) of pie filling, enough for two ~1L pies with pastry.
10. Pie dish size - I made this in a 26cm (10") Le Creuset stone pie dish, which has a volume of 0.9L (1 qt) - you can use a cake tin or any baking dish if needed. If you want to make party pies, you can use a muffin tin, or for larger individual serve pies you can use ramekins or pie foil trays, which are available from most supermarkets. You can also make freeform pies without a mould, in the same way you would make a pastie.
11. Leftover filling - this freezes well for use in the future. Alternatively you can serve it on toast, in a toastie or as a filling for a jacket potato - similar to how you'd use savoury mince.
12. Baking temperature - check the recommendations for your pastry and adjust accordingly - it will be on the packaging the pastry came in.