Is there any foodstuff more comforting than a pie? Particularly when that pie’s crust, or more accurately - encasing, is super flaky and butter rich. Fill that pie with all manner of meats and veggies - gravy, cheese, eggs, sometimes topped with potatoes, curry spiced or just plan steak & cheese, and you have yourself a classic New Zealand-style meat pie.
Originally launched by Gareth Hughes in 2003, DUB Pies (Down Under Bakery), is a pie-lover’s mecca. Having had a few pies ourselves (ok many pies), it’s actually shocking that this down under staple is not exceedingly popular in the states.
The meat pie is really the perfect American snack food. Their classic steak & cheese pie, for instance, is like a croissant encrusted Philly cheese steak. Akin to an empanada, samosa or Jamaican patty, these delicious meaty (or veggie) orbs are handheld, therefore easy to transport, and equally suited to a slick indoor party as they are to a picnic in the park. Arguably though, their most natural bedfellows may well be beer and sports.
Admittedly, consuming an authentic meat pie by hand without major spillage is an acquired skill, so beginners may well want to use a plated approach.
“Meat pies can - and typically are - consumed during all parts of the day,” says Lorene at the Dekalb Market outpost, “in New Zealand, everyone has their favorite local spot.”
The Curry Vegetarian (above), filled with peas, carrots, and Indian spices, is subtle in its flavor profile, and ridiculously tasty. I’d take a curry over Mom’s apple pie any day (sorry Mom!)
But the most authentic have to be the steak-based pies. Biting into the warm flaky dough of a classic Steak & Cheese, the juicy choice top round steak literally starts dripping out of the shell. If I were you, I’d get over to the Market ASAP and get a pie… or twenty… you’ll want to eat more than one, and possibly stock your freezer.