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Cheap and easy wild game pies
I figured I'd pass this meat pie recipe on. I've been making these "wee pies" for years. Super easy to do it yourself. You'll just need a meat grinder. Hit Peavey Mart when the Lem units are sale and you're set for life. This recipe is great for many different types of game . It's fantastic with cottontail rabbit, European hare, moose, bear, deer, elk, squirrel, beaver. Never tried moose or diver duck yet but I imagine they would also work well. My venison pies cost me 93 cents per pie to make this year. Any leftover pie shells get used in August to make wild apple and pear pies that are fantastic.
They keep well in the freezer. I've eaten them 14 months old and they are fine. When I wrap them I first wrap in Saran plastic, then waxed butcher paper. Once frozen, I then put them into a heavy plastic bag with the top tied. They are a great "quick supper" when you're trying to figure out what to eat. I like eating them with a side of mashed potatoes.
Meat grinder is used to make one pass using the coarse wheel in the machine. It's just straight venison. No fat added. I weigh out 6 pounds as this is a good workable amount for a batch that will make about 35 five inch "wee pies".
I buy my shells and tops from National Grocer in Lindsay, They come in boxes of 120. One box of tops and one box of shells. The shells come in aluminum cups. For the filling I use potatoes from our garden, onions from our garden. The easiest vegetable mix is to buy what you like in frozen bags. The stuff I get at National Grocers is about six bucks for a big bag. I get the mix that has carrots, peas, green beans, and corn. You can really reduce your cost by using Knorr beef stock concentrate . You can use bullion cubes, powder, or boxes of beef stock, but the concentrate is much cheaper (eg. one teaspoon of Knorr concentrate makes four cups of beef stock when you add it to boiling water).
Here's my recipe to make 35 of the five inch "Wee Pies":
6 pounds ground venison
6 large potatoes. I chop them thin with mandolin then cut into tiny 2cm cubes with a knife. You don't want big chunks
3 cans of cream of mushroom soup. Do not add water. You just use the straight can contents.
2 large Spanish onions, mandolin slice then chop fine. You could use tiny pearl onions instead but they give me a rotten bum and my wife doesn't think the stink is funny ( I still don't understand this after 32 years of marriage)
Salt and pepper to taste. I start with 1/2 tsp pepper and 3 tsp salt, then adjust to preference.
3 cloves of garlic, either minced or very finely chopped
3 tablespoons of oil to fry the lean venison meat
4 cups of beef stock , plus 3 tsp of straight Knorr Ultimate beef concentrate
1/2 tsp of powdered thyme
5 1/3 cups of mixed frozen vegetables
Cook meat in frying pan. Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and oil to pan. Cook until the meat is done.
Transfer the fry pan contents to a big stock pot. Add the liquid stock, extra beef concentrate, mushroom soup, and frozen vegetables. Stir it all together with a big spoon. Cook on low-medium for about 45 mins. Taste it and add salt if needed.
Now take out 35 frozen pie shells and 35 tops. Use spoon to fill the shell with meat mix. Place frozen top on top of filled shell so it will thaw. I fill all 35 of the shells until the pot is empty. Now take a fork and crimp all your tops. Use the fork to punch two hole lines in the top of the top so steam can get out when it cooks.
Wrap each pie in Saran, then waxed butcher paper.
Cook the frozen Wee Pie at 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Whip up an egg and paint egg wash on top before they go into the oven. Give the extra egg wash to your Black Pig-dog (Labrador retriever) so it doesn't get wasted. The Pot-lickin' Pig-dog will enjoy the opportunity.
Enjoy the feed!
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