Ingredients

• 2 Tb vegetable oil
• 1 lb ground beef, not lean
• 1 Tb salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño pepper, stem med, seeded, and finely chopped
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tb all-purpose flour
• 2 Tb water
• 1 bunch scallion, green and white parts, thinly sliced
• 5 dashes Louisiana hot sauce
• Meat Pie Dough, recipe follows, chilled
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

Step 1

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the meat, salt, cayenne, paprika, chili powder, white pepper, cumin, and black pepper and cook, using a metal spatula to break up the meat, for 5-8 minutes, or until the meat is lightly browned.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, tomatoes, dried thyme, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce and cook, stirring, for an additional 5-10 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated and the vegetables have softened.
4. Dust the flour over the meat and add the water, stirring to combine (this should tighten up the mixture enough so it won't leak moisture when it's encased in the dough).
5. Stir in the scallions and hot sauce and transfer the mixture to a baking Dan (or dish) to cool for 20 minutes at room temperature and at least 15 minute in the refrigerator.

Step 2

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and a dusting of flour.
2. Divide the dough into four even sections to make it easier to work with, returning the other sections to the refrigerator.
3. Dust the counter with a sprinkling of flour and roll out the first section until it's just under 4" thick
4. Using a 4" biscuit cutter (or a similar size bowl or jar lid), cut the dough into rounds. Save the scraps; they can be rerolled if needed.
5. Lightly brush the outer edges of each circle with beaten egg.
6. Place 2½ Tb of filling in the center of each round. Fold the circle over the filling to make a half circle.
7. Using the back side of fork tines, press around the edges to seal the pie
8. Transfer the pies to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remain- ing dough sections.

Step 3

1. When you fill a baking sheet, place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so the dough stays firm when you fry it
2. You can also freeze the uncooked pies. Just freeze them on the sheet pan first, and then when they are fully frozen, transfer them to a plastic freezer bag.
3. To fry the pies, heat 2½" of oil in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven to 350F.
4. Fry the chilled pies in batches of four or five at a time, cooking for about 8 minutes, until golden (Frozen pies will need 12-14 minutes).
5. Transfer the cooked pies to a sheet pan lined with paper towels or newspaper, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining pies.

Meat Pie Dough

Ingredients

• 1 lb cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 5¼ C all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ C ice water

Instructions

1. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse pebbles.
2. Using a fork, stir in the ice water until the pulls together, then use your hands to knead for a few minutes until it is smooth and evenly blended.
3. Roll the dough into a rectangle and fold it over itself three like a letter.
4. Repeat this process four times and reshape to a rectangle, and refrigerate until firm, at least 15 minutes.