Passport for Your Palate-Australian Meat Pie

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What is an Australian meat pie?  Well, it is one of the foods you must absolutely try when you are visiting.  It is pure comfort in the palm of your hand. It is a must have when I am Down Under.  The pies are often referred to as Australia’s national dish.
Australian meat pies are hand-held sized meat pies containing dice or minced meat. Sometimes they will also have gravy, mushrooms, onions, cheese or other vegetables in them. They are often served with tomato sauce. (Australia’s version of ketchup) My understanding from my Aussie friends is that mince meat is the way to go, but I often opt for the beef and mushroom myself.
For me, my visits to Australia were not the first time I encountered a meat pie.  My father’s family is from New England, Vermont to be exact and my great grandmother, Nanny Dot, and her sisters used to make a minced meat pie. Most often around holidays such as thanksgiving.  Her pies where made in a regular pie dish vs the smaller hand-sized pies I eat in Australia.  I have to say as a young girl I wasn’t very fond of the minced meat flavor. Probably why I still opt for the beef and mushroom. To me the  Australia meat pies are a cousin to our pot pies. Which I do make on occasion from a full-size pie to individual ramakins.
Meat pies actually go way back in history over to Europe during the middle ages.  Making savory pies was a way, or only way, back then to preserve meats.  Today, though in Australia, you can find these handy little delectable take away pies at sporting events, holiday celebrations, and most local bakeries. My most recent visit to South Australia, one of the travel agents in our group found a place to deliver.  We’d been in country 7 days without a bite and couldn’t head to the airport for our flight home without one. The store brought them to our hotel for a quick dine and dash before piling in our vans for the trip home.
Today I share two recipes with you. One from the recipe book of my relatives for making minced meat and a traditional meat recipe for today’s Australian pies.

Mince Meat Recipe from Myrtle Taylor Pillsbury’s Book

2 pounds meat
2 1/2 pounds sweet apples
4 pounds sugar
1/2 pound suet
1/2 pound butter
2 quarts cider
3 teaspoonfuls of cloves
6 teaspoonfuls all spice
6 teaspoonfuls of cinnamon
1 teaspoonful pepper
4 nutmegs
1 glass of brandy
3 glasses wine
Salt and one cracker

Raisins stewed and chopped, use if desired citron and lemons.
The above is made in a regular pie dish for 6-8 servings.
Unfortunately, the book has no directions on how to prepare the pie. This is typical of the recipes I find from my ancestors. I always get to experiment in making it come out the way I remember.


Australian Meat Pie
I’ve adapted my recipe based on above and other recipes that I have seen for the meat pies.  Once you have a basic recipe you can pretty much add and modify to your content as I mentioned pies come from a range or meat only, to meat with chees, to meat with mushrooms, and on.

For the Crust:
Here is my standard go to pie crust recipe that I use for a standard 9-inch pie. To make individual pies you would roll out and cut into large circle and cut out your circles for your individual crusts. Another option is to buy prepared dough or puff pastry.
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening or 2/3 cup lard  ( I use Crisco)
2 cups all -purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mix becomes size of small peas. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until flour is moist and pastry almost cleans sides of bowl.
Roll into a ball.  Roll out on lightly floured surface. Cut your rounds for your individual pie pans.  Place one circle in bottom of each pie tin.  Once pie is filled top with second circle. See instructions below.

For the Filling:
1 ½ to 2lbs cubed meat minced or lean ground beef
1 onion finely chopped (optional)
2 clove garlic minced
½ stick butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ cup red wine
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
½ -1 6oz can of tomato paste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons flour (mix with some water or broth before adding)
¾ cup beef broth
½ tsp thyme
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Instructions for pie:
-Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft.  Add beef, breaking into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for about 8 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant.
-Add broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, nutmeg, allspice, tomato paste and thyme and bring to a boil.  Add flour mixed in liquid and slowly stir in to thicken. Add more thickening if needed, but mixture will thicken up more when chilled.   Lower heat to medium-low to simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool in refrigerator.
-Meanwhile prepare crusts.
-Once filling is cooled. Make sure rack is in center of oven. Place a baking sheet on the rack and pre-heat to 425F
-Fill your pie shells, don’t overfill. Use water or egg wash to brush the edges. Pinch and crimp the pastry together. Brush top. Place small slit in middle with point of knife.
-Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.
-Serve with tomato sauce (ketchup)



Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslPassport for Your Palate-Australian Meat Pie
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Cozumel-Mexico’s Largest Island

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Cozumel is a destination in which many of you, my clients have requested information on.  It also happens to be on my personal bucket list for it’s beautiful waters.

Cozumel is filled with rich history and natural wonders.  It has beautiful beaches along with an amazing Mayan Culture.  If you are visiting Cozumel, you will want to make time to explore the ancient Mayan ruins on the north side of the island.  While there you will also want to visit the sanctuary of the fertility goddess Ixchel at San Gervasio.  Cozumel is a very easy destination to get to with flights daily from Milwaukee or Chicago airports and most other major hubs. It is a very popular stop for many of the cruise lines departing out of New Orleans and can be found on most Western Caribbean Itineraries.

Cozumel is Mexico’s largest island and is known as “the Land of the Swallows”.   It offers some of the most spectacular diving and snorkeling in Mexico with the second largest reef in the world behind Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.   The reef is one of the destination’s major draws and the big reason I’ve added it to my must do list.   If you don’t dive that is ok because Cozumel also offers a lot to those who are looking for fun, sun and relaxation.  There is a multitude of options for tours and day trips.  It’s each to find items such as, snorkeling, fishing, swimming with dolphins, and catamaran tours. If you are staying in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or the along the Riviera Maya on Mexico’s mainland, you can arrange a day trip over to Cozumel, as is just off the south east coast.  There are ferries that run regularly between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel or an easy intercontinental flight can be arranged.

Cozumel has something for just about every type of traveler.

 It hosts about a dozen resorts with most them being all-inclusive and family friendly.  There are a few adult-only resorts too, if you are looking for that romantic escape for a honeymoon or anniversary celebration. Finally, Cozumel is a well-suited destination if you only have 3 or 4 nights to available to leave home.
Travel Impression Fun Fact: The Mayans first settled on Cozumel in the 1st millennium A.D. They considered the island sacred, and dedicated it to Chel, the Mayan Moon Goddess. Many temples were built there and were places of pilgrimage, especially by women seeking fertility.

Andrea Ward is an independent travel consultant of Boomerang Escapes, who is based in Wisconsin.

She has been planning vacation escapes for the company since 2013 and specializes in Caribbean Destinations. Her primary focus is on the all-inclusive vacation experience for adult or family getaways for individuals and small groups. Sandals and AMResorts are among the specialist certificates she holds.


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Andrea WardCozumel-Mexico’s Largest Island
read more