Nothing beats a hearty, golden-crusted pie after a long day in the bush.
Whether it's slow-cooked venison, wild boar, or a mix of whatever's in the freezer, game meat pies are the ultimate way to turn a hard-earned hunt into a rich, satisfying meal. Packed with deep, savoury flavours and wrapped in buttery pastry, they’re a staple for those who appreciate wild food done right. Perfect for a cold night, a post-hunt feed, or just because you’ve got good meat that deserves to be treated properly.
Thank you to Peter McMullen for sending in this recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
• 2kg of young Goat meat cubed (I typically use 1 leg and 2 backstraps)
• 1 Tbsp Plain Flour
• 2 Finely diced Carrots
• 1 Large Onion finely diced
• 1 Tbsp minced Garlic
• 4 Large Potatoes peeled and diced
• 1 Lt Chicken Stock
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Tbsp fresh Thyme
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 12 Sheets of Puff Pastry
• Red Currant Jam
• 1/4 Cup Tawny Port
METHOD:
• Filling
Heat a tablespoon of oil in the frying pan. Coat Goat cubes in flour and brown in small batches – set aside.
Add Carrots and Onion to the pan and saute, then add Garlic and saute for a further 2 minutes.
Add Potato and return meat to the pan.
Pour in the Chicken stock ensuring all meat is well covered. Add honey and thyme and stir through.
Cover the pan, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Make sure to periodically check how much liquid has reduced from the pan, add water as needed to keep the mix from drying out.
Cool meat mixture ready to make the pies.
• Making the Jus
Place Red Currant Jam and Port in a small saucepan and over a gentle heat stir until simmering. Simmer and stir until liquid has reduced and thickened.
• Making the Pies
Pre-heat oven (220c) or Pie Maker, cut sheets of Puff Pastry with Pie Cutter to suit Pie Maker or Pie Dish. Place pastry base in the dish / pie maker and add filling. Place pastry lid on top and cook for approximately 10 minutes until golden brown.
If baking in a pie dish, pre-cook pastry base prior to filling and finishing in the oven.
Remove Pies, and using a sauce bottle, pipe in the Jus through the pastry lid prior to serving.