The dish to eat in Auckland · New Zealand

Mince and cheese pie

Name: New Zealand mince and cheese pies
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: New Zealand
Ingredients: For the filling: 2 tbsp oil, 1 onion finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, 2 lb (900 g) ground beef, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) beef stock, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 1/2 cups (150 g) grated tasty cheddar; 1 lb (450 g) shortcrust pastry (store-bought or homemade); 1 lb (450 g) all-butter puff pastry; 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for glazing

Photo: CuriosityKat33, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

A hand-sized pastry pie of rich beef mince in gravy topped with melted cheese, New Zealand's favorite snack.

New Zealanders eat millions of pies a year, and mince and cheese is the bestseller. A bakery pie with flaky pastry and a gravy that doesn't run is the Auckland lunch, judged hard at the national Bakels Supreme Pie Awards.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Auckland

Muzza's Pies
Auckland
Order: Mince and cheese pie, hot
An Auckland pie maker known for award-winning classic pies.
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Little & Friday
Belmont, North Shore
Order: A savory pie and a cream doughnut
A much-loved Auckland bakery famous for its baking.
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Oliver's Bakehouse
Auckland
Order: Mince and cheese pie
A neighborhood bakery with traditional New Zealand pies.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best mince and cheese pie in Auckland, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: New Zealand mince and cheese pies

Serves 6Time 2 hr 30 min, including cooling

A short-pastry base for structure, a puff-pastry lid for flake, and a thick beef gravy filling that's cooled before baking so the pastry stays crisp. A layer of cheese under the lid melts into the meat.

Pans and tools

Wide pan
Six 4 1/2-inch (11 cm) pie tins
Rolling pin
Sheet pan
Pastry brush

You’ll need

For the filling: 2 tbsp oil, 1 onion finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, 2 lb (900 g) ground beef, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) beef stock, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups (150 g) grated tasty cheddar
1 lb (450 g) shortcrust pastry (store-bought or homemade)
1 lb (450 g) all-butter puff pastry
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for glazing

Steps

Filling: heat the oil in a wide pan and cook the onion 5 minutes. Add the garlic, then the beef, breaking it up, and cook until browned.
Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the stock, Worcestershire, soy, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer 25 to 30 minutes until thick enough that a spoon dragged through leaves a trail.
Cool the filling completely, at least 1 hour (or chill overnight). Warm filling makes soggy pastry.
Heat the oven to 400F (200C) with a sheet pan inside. Grease six 4 1/2-inch (11 cm) pie tins.
Roll the shortcrust 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and line the tins, leaving a little overhang. Roll the puff pastry and cut 6 lids slightly larger than the tins.
Fill each tin with mince, level, and top with a thick layer of cheese.
Brush the pastry rim with egg, lay on a puff lid and press the edges together to seal. Trim. Cut a small steam hole and brush the top with egg.
Set the tins on the hot sheet pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes until the tops are puffed and deep golden and the bottoms are cooked.
Rest 10 minutes before eating (the filling is scalding). Tomato sauce on top is optional and very Kiwi.

Chef’s tips

The hot sheet pan underneath helps cook the bottom crust.

Baked pies freeze well; reheat from frozen at 350F (175C) for 25 minutes.

Use a sharp aged cheddar for flavor.

Contains: Wheat (gluten), milk, egg, soy, fish (Worcestershire).

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