377703 Mon Mar 05 13:11:11 -0800 2007 10 51 Africa 0 2354761 I've already posted on the General Board but thought someone on this board could help me with info on South African Meat pies. What is the pastry like? What fillings? and any other pertinent info is much appreciated. thanks in advance Mon Mar 05 13:11:12 -0800 2007 53134 ishmael 1 2419192 Not sure where you from so don't know what to liken it to that you may be familiar with. SA meat pies are similiar to Australian meat pies. Steak and kidney is the most popular. Pastry is not heavy. Sun Mar 25 11:38:47 -0700 2007 2354761 45498 fogducker 1 2473469 Sorry to weigh in so late... When you say 'pie' to a South African, they automatically assume you're talking about a meat pie. Sweet (fruit) pies have almost no presence here. And given colonial influences in SA, our pie preferences tend towards the British. Chicken, lamb, fish, and of course, the ever-popular steak and kidney. The pastry is pretty much the same as in the UK. Most commmercial pies include a certain amount of vegetable fats with or instead of butter; better, home-made ones will be made out of flaky pastry or puff. Other, related foods you might try exploring are bobotie (mince, but with a non-pastry cover), and another immensely popular snack food, samoosas, which also have a pastry crust and often a meaty filling. Thu Apr 12 06:27:03 -0700 2007 2354761 10431 Gooseberry 2 2548034 As an ex-pat, trapped in the sweet toothed US, let me agree re the 'pie' question. In SA, 'pie' means a savory thing - unlike the US where it automatically means 'sweet'. So almost every corner store sells fresh or frozen pies. As a glutton of note - the standard corner-store (or as they're called in SA, 'cafe's') pie fillings are: cheese and onion beef and onion pepper-steak steak and kidney curried vegetable When in SA - try EVERYTHING :) The foods available are a dizzying mishmash of African, British, Malay, Indian, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek.. as well as the standard 'junk food' of US/Chinese/Italian takeout.. if the original poster is from the US - then the 'samoosas' mentioned - unlike the bloated potato-filled weird concoction in the US, in Africa, are an extremely delicious treat, which also come in a wide variety of fillings - almost entirely savory. Okay, now I'm hungry, damn it :) Mon May 07 09:00:58 -0700 2007 2473469 57561 TheFamine 1 3409824 apon leaving cape town,driving back to pretoia we stopped at a small villeg,and got some pie's i got a shock they were much better than the one's you buy in england and the pastry was great. Mel Mon Feb 18 12:23:24 -0800 2008 2354761 167005 melody prouse 1 4255142 I was in south africa not that long ago and I had the pies there and they were amazing. What is in the pepper steak pies you buy at the gas stations. Is there any recipes for this on the internet. Wed Dec 17 17:23:52 -0800 2008 2354761 249376 shawners 2 4255384 came here looking for a recipe myself, so here you go. this first link is to what looks like the supplier to those gas stions. those pies are truly amazing. the second link is to the site with the recipe. it's the best I could find and IMHO as an expat, I think the secret is the sago. http://www.stpie.co.za/contents/products.html http://www.sanha.org.za/ebull.php?ebullnum=35 Ideal for the lunch box, picnic, or alfresco meals, this delicious pepper steak pie recipe is from the author and food enthusiast, Mariam Jadwa-Omar's book, "Creative cooking-the easy way". Available in most community book stores. PEPPER STEAK PIES Ingredients 2 large sheets pre-rolled puff pastry 500g rump steak, cut into 1cm cubes 1 Tblsp butter 1 green Chilli, finely chopped 2 tsp garlic pasta 1 tsp crushed black pepper Salt to taste 2 cups water ½ cup sago Egg, lightly beaten, to glaze Poppy seeds, to sprinkle 18 mini foil packs Method Braise green Chilli and garlic in butter Add meat, pepper and salt, and cook until meat is tender. Boil sago in water until clear and glossy and add to cooked meat. Using a round cutter, the same diameter as mini foil pack, cut 18 rounds from each pastry sheet. Line each foil pack with one pastry round. Spoon filling over base and cover with another pastry round. Press edges to seal. Brush with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 200 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 18 Wed Dec 17 18:53:13 -0800 2008 4255142 101631 capetowngirlie 1 4333969 Hi all, Sorry to come in at the tail end of all this, but can't resist. Yes, it's true to us South African's a pie is a savoury thing! Samoosas simply delicious. You'll find a host of recipes - all for pies, both savoury, sweet and some simply South African on http:www.piedesigns.co.za. To access the recipes you'll have to register on the site, but it takes less than a minute and is free. This registration will also give you access to pie making tips and solutions. Give it a try! Edit: You'll also find pie pastry recipes, news topics, cartoons on baking and more... Sat Jan 17 01:33:22 -0800 2009 2354761 223681 PieDesigns 1 4355162 I know it is very late to reply to this, but reading through the posts just got my mouth watering and I wanted to add my 2cents: Whenever in Pretoria, get to Varsity Bakery in Lynwood Road and order the pepper steak pie - heck, order two of them. No better pie in the world. I'm stuck in the US and just the thought of a pepper steak pie makes me miss home even more... :( Sat Jan 24 22:53:40 -0800 2009 2354761 260265 xalamander 2 4357635 Thanks for the advice. I'll tell you what - I'll order 3 - and eat one just for you! Lekker! Sun Jan 25 22:51:45 -0800 2009 4355162 223681 PieDesigns 3 4387888 We tried the Pepper Steak Pies, after reading the comments. I am glad to have the posted recipe, as they were a great lunch, and although we loved all of the food, we found most dishes were underspiced, so the "kick" of the pie was a wonderful treat. Wed Feb 04 14:21:28 -0800 2009 4357635 10837 erly