Meat Mince Pies Recipe

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
2. Rub the leg of lamb with half the olive oil, then season with salt and black pepper and set onto a large roasting tin.
3. Place in the oven and roast for 3 hours until really tender – the meat should be falling apart. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. While the lamb is cooling, heat a frying pan over a medium heat with the last of the olive oil, then add the onion and fry for 3 minutes then add the spices and dates, turn down and cook over a low heat for another 15 minutes until really soft. Remove from the heat and cool.
5. When the lamb is cool enough to handle, then shred 200g into small pieces, about 1cm square. Use the rest of the lamb as you wish – great with a Christmas salad.
6. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
7. Take a 12-hole deep muffin tin - if you have an old tin, lightly grease it however if you’re using a non stick tin, you don’t need too.
8. Roll the pastry to 3mm thick then stamp out rounds 2cm larger than the holes of the bun tin. Press each disc gently into the bun tin, making sure that it doesn’t tear.
9. Roll out the remaining pastry and stamp out 12 lids, about 1cm larger than the top of the holes in the bun tin, then set aside.
10. Mix the mincemeat with the shredded lamb, cooled spiced onion mixture, pistachios, lemon juice and 2 pinches of salt until really well mixed. Taste and adjust accordingly – you can add more lemon, salt, mincemeat or lamb as you fancy.
11. Place spoonfuls of mincemeat into each pastry disc, filling to nearly full.
12. Brush the edge of the pastry with the beaten egg mix then gently press the lid on top of the pie. Brush the lid with the egg then cut a slit in the top.
13. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
14. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin – best served warm.