Ah yes 🥧—a Scottish Hand Pie is a hearty, portable pastry filled with savory meat and vegetables, perfect for lunch or a snack. Traditionally, it’s made with beef or lamb and enclosed in a crisp, buttery pastry. Here’s a classic recipe:
Scottish Hand Pie (Savory Meat Pie)
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 lb (450 g) beef or lamb, diced small
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 tsp thyme or mixed herbs
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
For the pastry:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 4–6 tbsp cold water
Optional topping:
- 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Instructions
- Make the pastry
- In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time until dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
- Prepare the filling
- Heat oil in a skillet. Sauté onion, carrot, and garlic until softened.
- Add diced meat, cook until browned.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, herbs, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in stock and simmer until thickened (~10 minutes). Remove from heat and cool.
- Assemble the hand pies
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll pastry to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut into rectangles (about 4×6 inches).
- Spoon 2–3 tbsp filling onto half of each rectangle.
- Fold pastry over to enclose filling and seal edges with a fork.
- Brush tops with beaten egg for a golden finish.
- Bake
- Bake 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.
💡 Tips / Variations
- Veggie addition: Add peas, mushrooms, or diced potato to the filling.
- Cheese version: Sprinkle a little shredded cheddar inside for richness.
- Make ahead: Can be frozen before baking—bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
- Portable: Perfect for picnics or lunchboxes.
If you want, I can give a shortcut version using store-bought puff pastry and pre-cooked filling, which reduces prep time to about 30 minutes 😋.
Do you want me to give that version too?
