Classic New Zealand Meat Pie

The meat pie has been New Zealand’s unofficial national dish since the early 1900s, when British settlers brought their pie-making traditions south. Today it’s sold from every corner dairy, bakery, and petrol station, always waiting in a heated pie warmer, and it’s the food of choice at school lunchtimes and rugby clubrooms across the country.

What makes a great Kiwi pie is the balance of filling and pastry: deeply browned beef mince in a glossy, peppery gravy that’s thick enough not to run, wrapped in buttery shortcrust with a puff pastry lid. Eat it straight from the paper bag with a squirt of tomato sauce — that’s the only way.

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