Spicy Hill Country Meat Pies, Georgia-Style

 

A few years ago, I found myself in New Orleans with my best friend during what had to be one of the hottest Julys on record. Wandering through the muck on a sunny Sunday morning, we found ourselves in the French Market, taking in all of the amazing smells emanating from within. Being hungover definitely didn’t hurt, but for the most part, I’ll never forget the Cajun aromas from that market or the salivation that came with it.

 

As this blog is about Atlanta and the food it has to offer, I couldn’t really wrap my finger around what I would consider “Atlanta Cuisine.” Is it biscuit-y? Does it include some sort of meat? Are Vidalia onions involved? When it came down to it, I guess I realized that there are many different things that make food “Atlanta” in name. As a melting pot of the South, Atlanta has a whole range of foods and ingredients to make it its own.

 

Last Christmas, I received a copy of John Currence’s cookbook Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey: Recipes from My Three Favorite Food Groups (and then some). A James Beard Winning Mississippi Chef, Currence cooks a variety of foods that originate (and in some cases, can only be found) in the South. Like a little Southern soul guide, Currence’s cookbook has taught me how to really cook Southern. Flipping through its pages, I came across a recipe where he talked about spending time in New Orleans after Katrina and the foods he encountered while there. Feeling as though my path was set, I decided that his Spicy Hill Country Meat Pies were going to be my Sunday feat to conquer.

As this recipe literally took me all day to prepare, the end really had to justify the means. I was not disappointed. Sweet, spicy, salty, herbally, this recipe had it all. The crust was delicately flaky, while the filling had just the right ratio of meat to vegetables. I went into this simply expecting to be happy with my results. In the end, I emerged from my Southern endeavor more connected to the South then I think I have ever been. While the experience lasted all of ten hours, it was definitely worth it. Meat pies, once only known throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, now have Georgia to call their home. If you have the time and aren’t afraid of wasting your entire day, I suggest you make these little Heaven pockets. But be warned, they may not make it through the night.

Spicy Hill Country Meat Pies

Adapted, loosely, from John Currence

Pie Dough

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
4 tablespoons cold lard
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons dried thyme, whole
5 tablespoons whole milk
1 whole egg

Meat Pies

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground pork
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-dice Vidalia onions
1/3 cup minced red bell peppers
1/3 cup minced green bell peppers
1/4 cup minced jalapeno, seeds removed
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
1/2 cup small-dice sweet potatoes, blanced in salted water for 1 minute
1/2 cup cooked field peas
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons rye whiskey
1/4 cup ham stock
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Frying and Serving 

1 1/4 cups peanut oil
1 1/4 cups lard
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Creole Seasoning

1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons garlic powder
5 teaspoons onion powder
4 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons cayenne

For the pie dough:

Dice the butter and place on a saucer with the lard in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and thyme in a food processor and pulse. Scatter the frozen butter into the flour, and break the lard into 3 or 4 pieces (it doesn’t freeze hard) and add it to the flour. Pulse the mixture until it resembles a course meal.

Blend the milk and egg together and set aside.Dump the flour mixture into a stainless-steel bowl and, with a fork, slowly blend in the milk and egg mixture until the dough just barely begins to come together. Flour your hands and the dough slightly and gather the dough together in the bowl, kneading lightly until all of the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead with the palms of your hands, folding the dough over several times, until it just begins to look homogeneous. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to let relax for 30 minutes.

To make the filling:

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Crumble in the pork and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Brown the pork, stirring constantly, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.

Add the onions, red and green bell peppers, jalapeno, and garlic to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until they begin to wilt. Blend in the creole seasoning, sweet potatoes, and peas and warm through. Add the ground pork  and combine well. Stir in the maple syrup, rye whiskey, and stock and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. As soon as the liquid thickens, remove from the heat and stir in the green onions. Set aside to cool.

For the pies:

Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll it out to just over 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into 8 equally sized rectangles.

Frying and Serving:

In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm the oil and lard to 375°F. Lower the heat to hold the fat at that temperature. Alternately, the pies can be baked at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling on one half of a large pie dough rectangle. Brush the edges of the pie dough with the beaten egg and fold the dough over, crimping with the tines of a fork to seal. Brush the top of the pie with the egg. Repeat this with all the dough rectangles.

Gently place the meat pies in the hot oil, 2 to 3 at a time, turning them over occasionally until they become golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately.