Pie and Pastry Bible (93 page)

Spoon the meat mixture into the pie pans and cover each with ½ cup of the mashed potatoes. Using a fork, make concentric circular marks in the potato topping to resemble a rose. Bake for 10 minutes (15 if the filling was refrigerated). Turn the oven to broil and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mashed potatoes are golden.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

Lamb shank is the most flavorful and succulent cut of lamb. I prefer the cooked meat to have a little bite. If it is cooked to the point where it is actually falling off the bone, it will be less moist.

MEAT LOAF IN A FLAKY CHEDDAR CRUST

I
first encountered a version of this pastry-wrapped meat loaf when I worked at
Ladies’ Home Journal
over twenty years ago. The Cheddar cheese crust is fantastic with the meat. It is crisp, flaky, and tender with just enough heat (from cayenne pepper) to complement the zesty filling. It’s also excellent prepared with a packaged crust.
^*
This recipe was quick to become a family favorite and a regular at our table.

EQUIPMENT

An 8½- by 4½-inch 6-cup bread pan and a cookie sheet, lined with foil

Make the dough (page 39).

Preheat the oven to 400°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack a little below the center of the oven before preheating.

In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, parsley, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the onion and meat and mix just until evenly combined.

Pack the meat gently into the pan and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 115°F. Allow the meat loaf to cool completely on a wire rack, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Unmold it onto paper towels and then invert it so that it is right side up.

WRAP THE MEAT LOAF

Roll the pastry between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap into a 13- by 14-inch rectangle,
inch thick. Remove the top sheet of plastic and place the meat loaf lengthwise on one 13-inch-long side of the pastry. Use the plastic wrap to lift the dough up and over the meat loaf. Do not stretch the pastry, as it will shrink slightly on baking and would tear. Remove the plastic wrap and pinch the seams to seal them. Trim, if necessary, leaving enough to tuck under about 1 inch at the bottom and a little more at the ends. Moisten the bottom side of this border with a little water. Fold the long side underneath and then fold under the ends as if you were wrapping a present.

Use a small scalloped cutter or pastry tube to cut 2 vents in the top of the pastry. If desired, cut the scraps into decorative shapes and attach them to the top of the pastry with a little water.

Place the meat loaf on the cookie sheet, cover it lightly with foil, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.

Bake the meat loaf for 35 to 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the meat juices start to bubble through the vents. (A thermometer should read 160°F.) Place the meat loaf, still on the cookie sheet, on a rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving it.

Using a serrated knife and a large pancake turner held against the cut end of the loaf for support, slice 1-inch-thick slices.

STORE

Refrigerated, 3 to 4 days.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

For the best flavor, chop the onion just before adding it to the mixture.

The meat
must not
be warm when you wrap it with the dough.

The meat loaf is not adequately cooked until the juices start bubbling through the vent.

UNDERSTANDING

The dough-wrapped meat loaf is baked on the bottom oven rack on a stone or baking sheet so that the bottom gets crisp despite the juicy meat.

BAKED EMPANADAS

M
y editor, Maria Guarnaschelli, insisted that I include a recipe for this Latin American specialty because it is such a popular savory pastry. When she described the filling, I suspected that my Miracle Flaky Lard Pie Crust, with its crisp, flaky texture and wheaty meat flavor, would be the perfect wrapping for a spicy meat filling.

These spicy meat turnovers give definition to the word
savory
. Their subtle but tantalizing piquancy comes not only from herbs and spices but also from the occasional sweet/sour zing of raisins, accented by the mild brininess of chopped olives.

I love these empanadas so much they will now appear with great regularity at my table.

As with all spicy mixtures, these empanadas are possibly even more delicious as leftovers.

EQUIPMENT

A cookie sheet or inverted half-sheet pan