In Search of the Great Aussie Meat Pie

Perth, Australia -- Day 3

When Englishmen go out to dine
Roast beef their staple dish
The Russians all eat caviar
And Eskimos chew fish;
The French, they say, are fond of frogs;
The Yanks - Kentucky fries;
But dinkum Aussies, one and all;
Shout: 'Give us hot meat pies'
Yes dinkum Aussies, one and all
Shout: 'Give us hot meat pies'

In search of one of my childhood memories I went -- to tuck into a meat pie. That great Australian tucker found nowhere else in the world. Like vegemite, the meat pie is a sacred cow in Australia (except we eat them). Everyone loves them. Everyone misses them when they travel. And just as every Australian home contains a jar of vegemite, so too you can always get a pie at the local servo (local gas station) or bakery or at the footie. And don't they make a bloody great feed. Usually downed with your favorite amber there is nothing more satisfying than getting stuck into a couple of chunky meat pies for lunch.

That was how I thought about meat pies until today. Off to the local bakery I tootled in search of my comfort food. Standing in front of the counter I encountered not the three types of meat pies that I was used to -- chicken, steak and kidney, and meat -- but a dozen. The world of meat pies had upped its culinary styles since my childhood but not its looks -- Chili Steak, Steak and Cheese, Vegie, Chicken and Vegie, Steak & Kidney, Steak & Onion, Steak & Mushrooom, Pepper Steak. And the list goes on. I chose the original meat pie. Slathered it with tomato sauce (ketchup) as is traditional and tucked in.

Yummmm..... uummm.... hhhmm.

The humble meat pie is as Australian as it gets. While Americans love their hamburgers, Australians love their meat pies and sausage rolls more. Aussies are the world's biggest consumer of meat pies with over 250 million eaten each year. The traditional Aussie meat pie is about 15cm in diameter, just large enough to hold in one hand and covered in tomato sauce. The pastry is usually shortcrust (heavy enough so it doesn't fall apart in your hands), and the filling is beef or chicken with enough thick gravy inside to stick it all together.




While I was trying to recall why I loved and craved these culinary delights, I was also trying to figure out what wine (usually one drinks beer) would go with this to help it go down. I am worried. Am I less of an Aussie now as I find myself looking down at mostly thickened gravy with very little meat and the heavy pastry and have no desire to finish it? Apparently only 25% of the pie has to be meat and this can be fudged. Fudged????!! Do I want to know. And the definition of meat includes – apart from cattle — buffalo, camel, deer, goat, hare, pig, poultry, rabbit or sheep (as long as they’re not slaughtered in the wild). Nice!!!

6hrs later I am still trying to digest the pie from lunch. Maybe this aussie will try another meat pie in another 20yrs!!! Maybe....