The Pie Iron Meat Pie

The Pie Iron Meat Pie

Long before burgers, fries and fried chicken, individual meat pies were the fast food of preference In Australia and England. Vendors often served them from small trucks at construction job sites during lunch breaks. The complete meal was usually a pie with a heaped tablespoon of well mashed peas. In Australia these pies were initially popular in the 1930s and the popularity continues. The basic pie had the same pastry and meat contents as the Cornish pasty. In this recipe we take these same pastry and pie contents and give them another portable form using the U.S. Pie Iron or the Australian form, the Jaffle Iron.

The Pie Iron and the Jaffle iron are made of cast iron and come in round or square forms. The Jaffle Iron often had a shorter handle than the long handled Pie Iron shown above. The Jaffle Iron could be used in the home kitchen on a stove burner and outside on the camp fire. The long handled Pie Iron is difficult and somewhat dangerous to use in the house. Typically these irons make great grilled sandwiches over the camp fire. The Web has references to cook books specifically for the Pie Iron. I adapted two of my Pie Irons for use in the kitchen oven as well as the camp fire. I removed the wooden handles and shortened the handles to 10 inches.

Using the basic cornish Pasty or rissole meat mixture and pie pastry, the Pie Iron form of the meat pie can be made as follows.

Clean the insides of the pie iron well. Brush the insides with olive oil or cooking oil of your choice. A well cleaned and well oiled iron is important to make sure the cooked pie comes out easily without sticking to the iron.
Add the meat mixture to one of the irons. Heap it well to fill both sides when closed. Unlike a grilled sandwich which is not that juicy, these pies will generate juice while cooking. Cooking on a kitchen stove burner will be very messy and is not recommended.  Cooking over a camp fire is great. Cook until the pastry is brown. Remember the meat mixture should be well cooked before placing in the pie iron. When I cook in an oven, I place pans under the pie irons to catch the juices before the juices mess up the oven. Cooking will take about 40 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

One of the challenges of camp fire cooking is getting the very red hot coals needed to get the appetizing brown pastry. An appetizing appearance has been a goal of cooks through the centuries. Mrs. Lee stated, with authority, in 1832, "A good cook is as anxiously attentive of the appearance and color of her roasts, as the young beauty is to her complexion at a birthday ball."


For more information on the pie iron see: http://www.pieiron.com/what.htm . This site gives a source of history and provides on-line purchase for a large range of pie irons and related equipment for the camper. Many stores specializing in family camping equipment will carry pie irons.