Natchitoches-Style Meat Pies

Rating: 5 stars
1672 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 1672
  • 4 star values: 0
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Chef Way At Besh Steak, John Besh prepares mini meat pies with house-made dough and a rich, spiced filling of beef, pork and chicken liver sautéed in duck fat.Easy Way A meat-pie shortcut for the home cook: Use store-bought empanada dough instead of making your own. The cooks at Besh Steak use duck fat to sauté the meat filling. At home, butter is a perfectly fine substitute and much easier to find. More Southern Comfort Food

By John Besh
November 2011

Gallery

Recipe Summary

active:
45 mins
total:
1 hr 30 mins
Yield:
Makes 16 meat pies
Advertisement

Ingredients

Directions

  • In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the beef, pork and chicken livers and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, 8 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, cayenne, cloves and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 6 minutes. Tilt the pan and spoon off the fat. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Scrape the filling into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until chilled.

    Advertisement

  • Arrange 8 empanada wrappers on a work surface. Lightly brush the edges with water and spoon half of the meat filling into the centers. Fold in half, pressing out any air, and seal; crimp the edges with a fork. Transfer the pies to a wax paper–lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

  • Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a rack on top. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 375°. Fry the meat pies in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on the rack and serve with the ranch dressing.

Make Ahead

The meat filling can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

Empanada wrappers are available in the freezer section at most supermarkets; look for the Goya brand.

VARIATION To bake the meat pies, arrange them on 2 parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Prick each pie with a fork, brush the tops with beaten egg and bake at 425° for about 20 minutes, until golden.

Suggested Pairing

Rich, spicy Washington state Merlot.

Advertisement
© Copyright 2021 foodandwine.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.foodandwine.com 07/27/2021