The savory “Meat Pie” is common to many cultures and cuisines. These tasty doughy pockets of cooked animal flesh are almost as popular as the hamburger. The number of recipes and varieties are immense. Check out just a brief list of countries that have there own unique, regional variations.

Argentina, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru.

Whew, and I am sure that there are many many more.

This recipe is a Cajunized variation of the northwest Louisiana region’s Natchitoches version, which by the way is one of Louisiana’s official state foods. The official Natchitoches meat pies are not spicy and not particularly Cajun but we add the heat here because it is what we do. You can make the wraps from scratch or use the Goya brand found your frozen pastry section of your local grocer. Also bake the meat pies if you wish but the texture will not be as good.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 2 tablespoons diced celery
• 2 tablespoons diced green bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 16 frozen empanada wrappers, thawed (Goya brand works well)
• Vegetable oil, for frying

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onion, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic over medium heat until the tender, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, add the pork and beef and cook until grey, about 5 minutes. Next, season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper and Tabasco. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes.

2. Arrange the wrappers on a very lightly floured work surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the meat filling onto the lower half of each wrapper. Moisten the edge of each wrapper with water, fold it over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Crimp with a fork.

3. In a large, deep skillet, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350 – 375°. Fry the meat pies, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with Tabasco sauce. Serve hot but be careful as the filling will be very hot.

Serves Plenty

Heat Factor