Potato is a key ingredient in corned beef pie.
Corned beef pie is a savory pie made with pickled or salted meat. Although most recipes now call for canned corned beef, the original meat pies were made with leftover meat that was diced and baked in the pie crust. Corned meatloaf also contains vegetables, potatoes, spices and sauces. This dish can be eaten hot, as a cold meal, or as a snack at lunchtime.
Savory cakes, unlike sweet cakes, are traditional favorites. They were considered an easy way to take a meal on trips or to work. The rind was an edible wrapper for meat meal, vegetables, and potatoes. Sweet cakes, such as fruit-based cakes, are a relatively recent version of the traditional cake.
Corned beef is salted beef; Salting was once a popular method of preserving meat. Other meat pies or savory pies were made with roast beef or lamb. The homemade empanadas are made with minced meat and the shepherd’s empanadas with lamb. Recipes for these pies differ from corned beef pie in that they are made without pie crust. Both are baked in deep dishes and have a layer of mashed potato spread on top of the meat filling.
It is relatively easy for one person to make a corned beef pie. Sauté onion and possibly garlic in oil until onion is soft. Carrots and celery are then added to the pan and then the ketchup, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce are mixed. The last items to go into the pot are cornmeal and chopped or diced peas.
While this mixture boils, a small pie crust is prepared. Many people use commercially made pie crusts for convenience. The bottom crust is placed in a pie plate and the meat mixture is placed inside. The top crust is placed on top of the mixture, with openings cut into the top to allow steam to escape. The cake is then baked and served hot, right out of the oven.
This dish is a popular winter warmer and a relatively elegant way to serve leftover meat. It is also excellent when eaten cold. Corned meatloaf slices are packaged in packaged snacks and are a staple in picnic baskets.
There are many variations on recipes for this dish. Some recipes call for tomato sauce and others call for ketchup. Wine or spirits may be added to the meat mixture or to the ingredients for the pie base. You can also add hot or soft cheeses to the filling.