Caribbean Meat Pie (St. Thomas) RECIPE #1



Serves 4 to 6.
INGREDIENTS:
* PASTRY:
*
* 2½ c flour
* ½ tsp salt
* ¾ c lard, chilled and cut into ¼-inch bits
* 4 to 6 T ice water
*
* MEAT FILLING:
* 2 T butter
* 1 T finely chopped green olives
* 1 T vegetable oil
* 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
* 1 c finely chopped onions
* 1 tsp crushed hot red pepper
* ¼ c finely chopped green pepper
* 1 T finely chopped fresh parsley
* 1 lb. lean ground beef, preferably chuck
* ½ tsp crumbled dry thyme
* 2 T dry sherry
* 1 T malt vinegar
* ½ tsp dry mustard
* 3 med.-sized firm ripe tomatoes,peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or substitute 1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
*
Directions:
PASTRY: In a large chilled bowl, combine the flour, salt and lard.
With your fingertips rub the flour and fat together until they look
like flakes of coarse meal. Do not let the mixture become oily. Pour
4 T of ice water over the mixture all at once, toss together lightly,
and gather the dough into a ball. If the dough crumbles, add up to 2
T more water by drops until the particles adhere. Shape the dough
into a cylinder 12 inches long and about ½ inch in diameter, dust
with a little flour, wrap it in wax paper, and set it aside.

MEAT FILLING: Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a heavy 10- to
12-inch skillet, melt the butter in the oil over moderate heat.
When the foam begins to subside, drop in the onions and green pepper and, stirring
frequently, cook for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully for any sign of
burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Add the beef to the onion
mixture. Stirring frequently and mashing any lumps with the back of
the spoon, cook the meat long enough for all traces of pink to
disappear. Add the tomatoes and, still stirring, cook briskly until
almost all of the liquid in the pan has evaporated and the mixture is
thick enough to hold its shape lightly in the spoon. Stir in the
olives, garlic, red pepper, parsley and thyme. Remove the skillet
from the heat, stir in the sherry, vinegar and mustard, and let the
filling cool to room temperature.

ASSEMBLING THE PIE: Preheat the oven to 450°. Cut a 7-inch-long piece
crosswise off the dough cylinder and set the rest aside. On a lightly
floured surface, pat the dough into a rough circle about 1 inch
thick. Dust a little flour over and under it and roll it out from the
center to within an inch of the far edge of the dough. Lift the dough
and turn it clockwise about 3 inches; roll again from the center to
within an inch or so of the far edge. Repeat- lifting, turning,
rolling- until the circle is about 1/8 inch thick and 13 to 14 inches
in diameter. If the dough sticks to the board or table, lift it
gently with a metal spatula and sprinkle a little flour under it.

Drape the dough round over the rolling pin, lift it up, and unroll it
slackly over a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press the dough into the pan,
but be careful not to stretch it. With a pair of scissors trim the
dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang all around the outside of the pan.
Spoon the meat filling into the pie, spreading it and smoothing the
top with a spatula. Pat the reserved dough into a 1-inch-thick round
and, in similar fashion as above, roll it out into a circle about 1/8
inch thick and 10 inches in diameter.

Using a brush or your finger, moisten the edges of the bottom crust
with cold water. Drape the 10-inch round over the rolling pin, lift
it up and unroll it over the filling . Moisten the rim of the pie
again, then lift up the overhanging dough and gently fold it over the
top edges. Press the tines of a fork all around the rim of the pie to
enclose the filling securely, and prick the top deeply in 7 or 8
places with the tips of the tines. Bake in the middle of the oven for
10 minutes, lower the heat to 350°, and continue to bake for 45
minutes longer, or until the crust is golden brown. Serve the pie at
once directly from the pan.