Meat Pies

Sift flour into a bowl. Add chunks of cold butter. Use fingers to rub butter into flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, until a non-sticky dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add  meat, onions, garlic, and carrots, and cook, stirring constantly, until meat is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add white pepper, curry powder, thyme, and mixed herbs, and mix well; cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Remove from heat; set aside to cool.

On a well-floured surface, roll dough out about 1/4-inch thick, and cut out circles using a cookie cutter, cup, or bowl in a size you are happy with. Place some filling in the center of the pastry circle and fold over carefully. Press the edges of the pastry firmly together with a fork to seal. Re-roll dough scraps, and repeat until pastry and meat filling are used up.

Place pies on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the formed pies with beaten egg.

Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and filling is hot, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Cook's Note:

You can cut butter into flour with two knives or a pastry blender, or you can perform this step in a food processor: pulse flour and salt with cold butter until it’s the size of small peas. Then proceed with the recipe.