Christmas lights and meat pies may not seem like a match. Yet in Natchitoches, LA, they go hand in hand. The only French settlement in north Louisiana has been home to a Christmas Light Tradition since 1927. Long before the Christmas Lights began, street vendors were hawking meat pies in the 1800s. Today there are no street vendors hawking meat pies, yet several restaurants offer meat pies on their menu.
Although Natchitoches did not invent meat pies, the city’s meat pie is the official meat pie of Louisiana. Below is an easy meat pie filling with refrigerator dough used for the crust. Generally one will not find sauce for Natchitoches Meat Pies. The sauce has been added to the recipe and adds an added depth to the meat pie. The meat pie filling is based on the Official Natchitoches Meat Pie Recipe.
Mais C’est Bon!
Enjoy!!
Natchitoches Meat Pie Recipe:
Meat Pie Filling
• ½ tsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 3-5 green onions with medium bulbs, diced
• 1/2 pod garlic, minced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Begin with:
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp flour
• On medium high to high, heat oil in heavy pot or deep sided
skillet. Add meat. Cook until pink is gone.
• Add vegetables and season to taste. (Season well, as meat will lose
seasoning during baking.)
• When meat is completely done and vegetables glazed, remove from
heat and drain excess liquid. Reserve liquid. Turn the burner to low.
• Put meat mixture back in pot
• Stir in 2 tsp flour.
• Stir in 1-2 Tbl reserved liquid and stir – mixture should be glossy (add more liquid if needed).
• Turn off heat and let mixture cool while cutting the crust.
Crust
1 box premade refrigerated pie crust (2 dough rolls per box)
1. Roll out crust on flat surface
2. Place 5” bowl on dough and cut ring
3. After all rings are cut, fill
4. Place ring on flat surface
5. Brush water around the edge of ring
6. Fill 1/2 of ring with 2 heaping Tbl filling
7. Fold dough over and seal using a fork to crimp
8. Place on baking sheet
9. Bake at 330 (convection oven) 350 (conventional oven) for 30 min or until golden brown
Note: when finished cutting rings, roll out excess dough and cut more rings.
Dipping Sauce for Meat Pies
• ½ cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ cup Ketchup
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp creamed horseradish
• Lots Of Ground Pepper
Combine all ingredients and mix well. It will be better the next day. This sauce can be used in various ways with different foods.
