Hot Food Trend: Savory Pies
Everyone loves a piece of pie. But fruit and custard aren't the only things you can tuck into pastry dough-ever heard of chicken pot pie? Pie stuffed with meat or other savory ingredients is not only a portable meal, it's a great way to keep warm in the winter months. And savory pies have become so popular, you might even say there's a trend stashed away in there under that hot, delicious pie crust.
Related: The basic chicken pot pie recipe »
Making your own is as easy as, well, let's not go there… And if you're seriously bake-challenged, you can always have one of the country's best savory pie experts ship you one, which we've rounded up for your convenience. Crusts away!
English Pork Pie Company
Known for its traditional British pork pies, small servings of chopped pork and gelatin baked into a crust, The English Pork Pie Company also makes a pretty mean steak and ale pie, Britain's answer to America's Classic Chicken Pot Pie. Pies like these - steak and ale, steak and kidney, steak and mushroom - are ubiquitous in the U.K., where pubs serve them with thick-cut chips (that's fries to you, Yank). This beefy pie is sure to nourish you on a cold day, but beware serving it as a side dish: you might not have belly room for much else.
DUB (Down Under Bakery)
To the untrained eye, these look an awful lot like British pies, but DUB's baked goods are actually inspired by the savory pies of Australia and New Zealand. The signature offering is steak mince, or ground beef, consisting of tender, high-grade meat baked with onion gravy into a flaky crust. It also can come laced with sharp white cheddar cheese. DUB delivers hot or frozen pies to the New York area, and will ship frozen ones beyond the city limits via UPS.
Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co.
Your standard chicken pot pie is the epitome of comfort food. A lobster pot pie, however, is something special. Hancock Gourmet makes its Pemaquid Point lobster pot pies with chunks of lobster meat and a sherry-splashed cream sauce, all topped with flaky puff pastry. They come in reusable ramekins so they definitely qualify as an edible gift. But why would you want to give these away when you can have them all to yourself?
Natchichones Meat Pies
Pronounced Na-Kah-Tush and named for the Louisiana town of Natchichones, these empanada-style pies are one of Louisiana's official state foods. Stuffed with ground beef and pork, onions, peppers, garlic, and sometimes cayenne pepper, these pastries are often fried in peanut oil, resulting in a slightly sweet, crispy crust. Natchichones Meat Pies sells its original or spicy version in bulk online, in crawfish, chorizo and breakfast varieties, plus mini versions of each.
PIE FACE
This Australian meat pie company is set to open the its doors on its first US location, right in the heart of Manhattan. What to expect? Pies stuffed with steak or chicken and mushrooms, breakfast pies that will give your favorite quiche a run for its money, and even curry and tandoori varieties.
Make it at home! Try these savory pie recipes:
Easy cornmeal crust recipe: The first step.
Chicken Pot Pie with pickled beets: a twist on the original pot pie.
Farmer cheese pie recipe: In this mood for a cheesy treat? This one will do the trick.
Chicken chile relleno pie recipe: If spice gets you hot you can make this pocket-style pie.
Polenta and sausage pie recipe: For heartier fare, sink your teeth into this one.
