Cheap and easy wild game pies

[Fenelon]

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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[Fenelon]

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[dean.f]

Thanks for sharing, looks like a great idea for winter work lunches.

[AventureNature]

you cook them before freezing ???

[sabmgb]

sounds very tasty. thanks

[Fenelon]

The inner pie contents are all cooked, as per the recipe, then loaded into the shells. The shells and tops are purchased as raw frozen pastry. The pastry gets baked when you heat the frozen pie up in the oven at 350

[Marker]

Good post, I will try it.

[rf2]

Thanks for taking the time to write a great, informative post!

[fishfood]

Thanks for sharing I was already planning on heading there next week. Now I gotta pick up some pie shells lol.

Won't be using venison but definitely going to make a batch of something got lots of steaks and chicken. Put another 15 birds in the freezer not long ago maybe ill do some beef and chicken. I aslo like these meat pies with some mash potatoes and mix vegetables or peas every once and awhile.

This week we made a bunch a cabbage rolls froze a few meals and a scotish pie lol.

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[Fisherman]

Somebody paid attention and knows how to cook for sure. I know for the amount you make it may be easier to use store bought pie shells and tops, but an old army cook friend of mine put me onto pie dough you can buy. Call "Francois Hubert" pie dough, comes in 1 kg bricks frozen, you can thaw it out and refreeze the rest. This stuff is the cats meow, roll it out as thin as you want. I make 4 pie shells and tops from one brick. The only place I could get it is at Food Basics and some Metro stores. $4 a loaf makes it a bunch cheaper than the store bought ones.