How to Make Ghanaian Meat Pies

Dough:

1. Add the flour, salt, sugar baking powder into a mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
2. Using your fingers, add in the butter and incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until a breadcrumb texture forms.
3. Create a hole/well in the middle of your flour/butter mixture, add in 2 beaten eggs, and mix until well incorporated. Do not over mix.
4. The dough should start to form, but you may add in about ¼ cup of cold water to help form the dough into a ball.
5. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the dough. Work the flour into the dough until the flour has disappeared. You can stop kneading after this point.
6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap.
7. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes.
8. Begin working on the meat pie filling.

Meat Pie Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius).
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan.
3. Dice the onion into small pieces and add to the pan. Cook the onions on medium heat until slightly translucent.
4.  Add in the chopped garlic clove and cook until fragrant.
5. If you would like to add a habanero or scotch bonnet pepper, then you can cut in into small pieces and add it at this point.
6. Peel and cut the potato into small cubes and set aside. Avoiding cutting the potatoes too small to prevent having mashed potatoes in your meat pie.
7.  Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until brown and no pink is visible. Be sure to mix the ground beef with the onions, garlic and peppers.
8. Add your chicken stock cubes (if using), seasoning salt, black pepper, thyme, and paprika to the ground beef mixture and mix well.
9. Then add in the diced cubed potatoes and mix.
10. Add in enough chicken stock or hot water to slightly cover the ground beef and potatoes.
11. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. This allows the potatoes to slightly cook. The potatoes will continue to cook when the meat pies are baking in the oven.
12. Increase the heat and cook until the most of the liquid has evaporated.
13. Next, evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour over the ground beef and potatoes and mix well, so that clumps do not form. 
14. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes to allow to cook out the flour. You’ll see the ground beef and potato mixture thicken.
15. Remove the pan from the heat.

Assembling the meat pies

1. Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
2. Using a rolling pin, roll out one of the dough balls to Take one of your dough balls and roll out evenly using a rolling pin, roll it out to 1/8 to ¼ in thickness.
3. Use a bowl, coffee mug or cookie cutter to cut out a circle shape.
4. Place a spoonful of the meat pie filling onto the center of the dough. The amount of meat pie filling that you add depends on how big you’ve made your circles. Do not over fill the pies.
5. Gently fold over one edge of the dough over to the other side and press firmly along the sides of the dough.
6. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal the meat pies.
7. Using a pastry brush (or your finger if you don’t have a pastry brush), brush the surface of the pies with 1 beaten egg.
8. Once you’ve used up all of the dough and the meat filling, place pies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a lightly greased non-stick baking sheet.
9. Using a fork, carefully poke holes into the meat pies to allow steam to escape while the pies are baking.
10. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes. Check the pies halfway through the baking process.
11. Remove the meat pies from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
12. Enjoy!