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Caribbean Meat Patties

By Hector Rodriguez

latinfood.about.com

Caribbean Meat Patties

Image credit: rohitseth / 123RF Stock Photo

These delicious, highly seasoned, beef and pork baked meat pies are great for lunch, dinner, or a snack. You can make them in different sizes and shapes - circular, half  moon, square, or rectangular.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• For the Pastry
• 3 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup ice water
• 2 large eggs (for egg wash)
• 2 tablespoons milk (for egg wash)
• For the Mixed Meat Filling
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion (peeled and diced)
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 chili pepper, your choice, diced
• 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, your choice
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• water 

Preparation:

Make the Pastry Dough

1. Into a large enough bowl, sift the flour.
2. Cut in the salt and butter.
3. Using a pastry tool or your fingers, mix the ingredients until crumbly.
4. Add the ice water, a little at a time. After each addition incorporate the flour mixture until it comes together in a bowl. Do not over knead the dough, you just want it to come together.
5. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before using.

Make the Filling (while the dough is resting)

1. In a frying pan, over moderate heat, heat the olive oil and butter.
2. Add the onion and sautee until soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and sautee for another minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Add the ground beef and ground pork. Cook and stir the mixture until the meat is browned and thoroughly cooked. Pour off any rendered fat.
5. Add the chili pepper, thyme and 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir.
6. Add the carrots, capers, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce. ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Stir everything together.
7. Add just enough water to barely cover the ingredients. Cook until the vegetables are soft and the water has evaporated to form a thick gravy - around 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Allow the mixture to cool down before filling the patties.

Putting it Together

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Grease and flour a baking sheet.
2. Beat the eggs and milk together to make an egg wash.
3. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
4. Using a 3 inch circular cutter, cut out 48 circles. You can use a glass rim or bowl if you don't have a cutter. You'll need an even number of circles (two circles per patty), unless you are  making half moon shapes or squares.
5. Lay out the circles on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Brush the edges of each circle with egg wash and then place a couple tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle.
7. Place a pastry circle on top of each circle with filling on it. 
8. Pinch the edges with a fork. Brush on the rest of the egg wash over the patties. Pierce the top with a fork to make steam holes. 
9. Bake until golden - about 20 to 25 minutes.