 Natchitoches meat pie with New Orleansbeans and rice | |
| Type | Pie |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Louisiana |
| Main ingredients | Pie shell, groundbeef, groundpork,onions,peppers,garlic,oil |
TheNatchitoches meat pie is a regionalmeat pie from northernLouisiana, in the United States. It is one of theofficial state foods of Louisiana.[1]
Ingredients include groundbeef, groundpork,onions,peppers,garlic,oil, and a pie shell. Natchitoches meat pies are often fried inpeanut oil because of that oil's highsmoking temperature. A number of restaurants in the historic district inNatchitoches serve meat pies, and frozen pies are available from grocers in northern Louisiana.
It has a savory meat filling in a crescent-shaped, flaky wheat pastry turnover. It is similar to a Spanishpicadillo beefempanada. Varieties are found throughout the colonies of theSpanish Empire.
The meat pie is found throughout Louisiana, including southern Louisiana which tends to have a spicier version compared to its northern counterpart, but its origins are found to be from Northern Louisiana. Although found in Greater New Orleans today,The Picayune's Creole Cook Book published in 1901 byThe Times Picayune of New Orleans does not contain a recipe for a Natchitoches style meat pie in its list of over 1,000 recipes. Natchitoches meat pies are found in other parts of Southern Louisiana as well as sold at food booths at theNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and seems to have spread south from Northern Louisiana.
The use of wheat flour as an ingredient is significant.[citation needed] Corn is grown locally. It is a staple of both Spanish and Native American food. Wheat is difficult to grow in this wet, warm climate. Mexican wheat flour[2] could have been imported initially by annual supply convoy overEl Camino Real de los Tejas (a portion later became TheOld San Antonio Road) or sourced from Europe via the French port on theRed River atNatchitoches.
In the modern recipe, ground pork or pork sausage is blended into the ground beef for additional flavor.Onions,bell pepper and when usedgarlic andparsley provide aromatics. Groundblack pepper andcayenne pepper are added as well. Flour is added to the browned meat and vegetable mixture to dry, thicken and loosely bind the filling. The meat filling can be used in other foods (such as tacos and tamales, among others) but the wheat turnover crust is a defining element. The traditional size is approximately 4 ounces (by weight) on a 5"-6" diameter pastry dough (with the dough circles being cut, traditionally, using an empty coffee can). The filling should be made the day before to allow the flavors of the ingredients to meld. Filling, dough and tools should be chilled before assembly. Warm filling will cause the dough to disintegrate.[citation needed]
In the first part of the 20th century, meat pies were sold from home kitchens or from carts by street vendors. By 1967, Natchitoches meat pies were produced in commercial kitchens.[3][4] Now, they may be ordered online.[5]
Louisiana Public Broadcasting aired a program January 20, 2007, describing how to make Natchitoches meat pies. It is available on DVD entitled "A Taste of Louisiana with ChefJohn Folse & Company: Our Food Heritage - The Spanish Shows". An annual Meat Pie Festival, held in September, celebrates the Natchitoches meat pie.[6]
