How to make Natchitoches Meat Pies from scratch

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground chicken

Ground turkey is leaner and lower in calories.

puff pastry

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pastry

💰Cheaper: homemade dough

Whole wheat pastry adds fiber while homemade dough can cut costs.

Chop half of a yellow onion.

Remove the core from a green bell pepper and chop half of it.

Chop four cloves of garlic until minced.

Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour to a bowl.

Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the flour.

Add 9 tablespoons of salted butter at room temperature to the flour.

Add 9 tablespoons of shortening at room temperature to the flour.

Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter and shortening into the flour until a crumbly texture is achieved.

Add 1/2 cup of cold water to the mixture and stir until it becomes a dough.

Use your hands to knead the dough until it no longer sticks to your hands.

Let the dough sit at room temperature until the filling is made.

Preheat the stove to medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef and ground pork to a skillet and fold together with a spatula.

Sauté the meat for about 8 to 10 minutes until browned.

Turn off the heat and transfer the meat mixture to a strainer to drain excess grease.

Let the meat mixture cool for 15 minutes.

Transfer the meat mixture to a food processor and blend for 2 minutes until finely textured.

In a medium-sized saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of salted butter and let it melt over medium-high heat.

Add 1 cup of chopped yellow onion, 2/3 cup of chopped green bell pepper, and 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic to the saucepan and stir together.

Sauté the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

Add the ground beef and pork mixture to the sautéed vegetables and stir together.

Sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until browned.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of Tony Sacher's seasoning, 1 teaspoon of Chef Paul's seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour to the meat mixture and stir well.

Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup of water to the mixture, stirring to combine.

Let the filling come to room temperature before using.

Flour the surface of a table and press the dough into a square.

Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 23 inches long by 16 inches wide.

Use a clear plastic container with a diameter of 4 1/2 inches to cut out circles from the dough.

Cut out 14 circles from the dough and remove the excess.

Roll out the excess dough and cut out 6 additional circles, bringing the total to 20 circles.

Take a circle of dough and add a small amount of filling to one side.

Fold the opposite side of the circle over to create a half-moon shape and press down to seal.

Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pie shell.

Place the pies into a pan.

Optionally, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes instead of frying.

In a medium-sized pot, add 1 quart of canola oil and let it heat for 10 minutes.

If using a deep fryer, preheat it to 350°F and let the oil heat for about 10 minutes.

Add the pies to the hot oil and fry for 4 minutes until they float to the surface, indicating they are done.

Remove the pies from the oil and place them on a serving dish lined with napkins.

Let the pies cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens