Tag: Carribean

Jamaican Meat Pies

Jamaican Meat Pies

Jamaican Meat Pies

I first tried a Jamaican meat pie at the West Indies Soul Food booth at the MN State Fair about 15 years ago. Instead of an empanada shape, they sold them in the shape of a patty; hence why they called them Jamaican beef patties. They were unbelievably good and spicy as hell. The baked dough was very similar to a pot pie crust. Every year I make sure to go back and eat one with a large Jamaican Arnie Palmer.
Past forward to present day. My high ass had a craving for these since I didn’t go to the Fair this year. So I had to learn how to make them. They take time to prep, but are overall fairly easy. This is something that you just can’t make one of, so be aware that this recipe yields 10/12 meat pies. The nice thing is that you can freeze these down on a baking sheet and store in a freezer bag. The meat pies take 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Jamaican
Keyword: Beef, Jamaican, main course, snack
Servings: 10 Meat Pies
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • Mixer with dough hook

Ingredients

Dough

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 5 oz lard room temp
  • 4 oz butter room temp
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 cup ice water

Meat Filling

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium white onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Jamaican curry powder
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 green onions finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp parsley chopped

Instructions

Making the dough

  • Mix together the dry ingredients.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Turn the mixer to medium speed. Add in the butter and lard, mixing until it is incorporated with the flour. Add in the cider vinegar and the ice water. It should form into a ball.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • On a well floured surface, separate the dough into 2 balls.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4” thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Cut out discs with a 6” bowl.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Do this until all of the dough is used up. You should yield 10-12 dough frisbees. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef

Meat Pie Filling

  • Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and all of the spices for 2 minutes.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Add in the ground beef and breadcrumbs. Cook for 8 minutes, until the ground beef is cooked all the way through.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Turn off the heat. Stir in the green onions and parsley. Let cool.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef

Meat Pie Assembly

  • In a large empanada press, add one of the dough discs.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Add 2 heaping tbsps of the meat filling.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Fold it over, crimping tightly.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
    Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
Place the meat pies on a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour.
Jamaican, main course, snack, beef
Store in a freezer bag.